"or to chufe my own portion; but I have a wifer "counsellor, a ftronger keeper, a better provider, "to conduct me, to fupport me, to take care of me, "and chufe my inheritance for me. In the hands

"where I am, there I would be, and there I rejoice "to be. For thy hands, Lord, are the beft hands; "and into them I humbly commit myfelf: and of "thee, my gracious Father, I earneftly beg, ftill to "keep open thy watchful eye upon me, and con"tinue to inftruct me, to order and manage me, "and carry me fafe through all the varieties and "intricacies of my paffage here, till thou haft brought me paft all my care, and trouble, and "hazards, to reft and triumph in thy kingdom and glory everlasting. Amen.”

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MEDITATION XXVIII.

Of the fevere ftrokes of God's Providence.

HE whole world, my foul, what is it, but the great family of the great God? who, be fure, will rule his own houfe well, and order all in a manner worthy of himself. Indeed, the common course of his Providence runs fo fmooth, and eafy, and regular, that nothing appears in it, but what is sweet and beautiful, harmonious and grateful to all. Yet are there fome gloomy eclipfes, fome eccentric motions and boisterous hurricanes, fo ftartling and a ftonishing, that they puzzle and amaze, even the wifeft and beft of men. And though they dare not object against them, yet they know not what to fay or think of them. Not only the monftrous pro ductions

ductions and prodigious phenomena, such strange appearances as put nature in a diforder, and ftrike the fpectators eyes with horror, and make the ears of them that hear to tingle, but the fudden turns of ftates, and breaking of families; taking away the most useful and excellent perfons, that, we thought, could worst of all be fpared; throwing down rulers that were the darlings of mankind, and the pillars of the earth, and fetting up the tyrants and oppreffors that make havock of the church; and, instead of keeping, break the peace of the world; giving a commiffion to war, and peftilence, and famine, to go and fell the inhabitants of the earth; and not only take here and there one, but fweep them off by thousands and ten thousands; fuffering perfecutions to rage and worry, and wafte the fheep of his pafture; and to afflict and break in pieces the children of his love; fo that they lose, not only the hair of their heads, but even heads themselves. And O how often do we fee good men come to untimely ends: the beft fare worft; and fome of the greatest benefactors of the world find the hardest quarter in it? Now all this looks fo unlike the order and decorum of divine providence, that it has tempted fome to question whether there be any fuch thing; and even they that fear and love God, have yet here fo ftumbled, that they could hardly recover themfelves.

And how often, my foul, haft thou been at a fad lofs here, to reconcile fuch cruel work and tragical paffages with God's most wife, and good, and righteous government of the world? that he could hinder the whole evil and confufion, and remove every occafion of fuch objection, there is no more room to doubt, than of his being. Whence it is evident that it is not without his will, any more than without his knowledge: and if it be his will, I am fure then all is well or will be well; though I under

ftand

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stand not the reafons of it, nor can undertake to be accountable why things are now fo carried. "Thy way, O God, is in the fea, and thy path in "the deep waters, and thy footfteps are not 66 known,' " Pfal. lxxvii. 19. 'Tis too deep for me to dive to fuch a bottom; if there be any bottom, I cannot reach it. For "unfearchable are his judgments, and his ways paft finding out," Rom. xi. 33. To fee the wheel within a wheel, and unriddle all the intricacies of Providence; to follow it through all the heights and depths of its myfterious proceedings: this is not for one of my contemptible fize to attempt. O how filly and arrogant fhould I be, to cite the Judge of all the earth to answer at my bar! If there be myfteries of ftate beyond my ken, fhall I not leave to the incomprehenfible Majefty of heaven fome (arcana imperii) fuch fecrets of government as will be fecrets to me as long as I live? nor muft I expect to know them now, though, (through his mercy) I may do it hereafter. This I know, that righteous art thou, O Lord, and just are thy judgments. Thou haft ftill good caufe to do all that thou doft; however that cause be yet to me in the dark and even the furprising alarms in nature's clock-work have not an empty found, but a fignificant voice and meaning, though it may be in fo ftrange a language that it comes to me as to a Barbarian. There is no fault or mistake, even in the sharpeft of all thy dealings: and whoever find fault with any, do but charge God foolishly, and take upon them to cenfure they know not what. If then I but know it to be the Lord, ftill I will fay, let him do what feems him good; and not open my mouth to mutter the least against it, when it is his doing. For, alas! I am too fhort-fighted to fee the end and drift of all his defigns; and I fhall take false measures if I go by outward appearances. But let him chain up or let

loofe

loofe the dog, I'll take all well from fuch a hand. Let ftorms arise, and the hip be toffed and driven, I dare truft such a pilot, who will omit nothing that is fit to be done, nor do any thing that had been better to be let alone. I know there are dark shades and fome black strokes, even in the lovelieft picture; and the exacteft piece of arras may look rude, if I caft my eye only upon this fpot or that patch by itself; when, take all together, there is nothing but fymmetry and beauty in the whole contexture. And O how complete and ravishing will be the entire scene of Providence, laid open all to my view hereafter; many the parts of which I know not what to make at present.

My foul, remember where we now are. It is but the place of our paffage and probation; and here is no determination of our standing condition. But they that lose at present may yet be no final lofers. All their feeming hurts may do them no real hurt. The only wife God, who has both worlds ftill in his piercing eye, does not make fuch a matter as we do of things prefent; knowing that men are but characteristically and improperly called happy or miferable here, let them enjoy or fuffer what they will; because they shall all be called to a new reckoning. And the more unequal diftributions are in this day, they do but ftill more confirm me in affured expectation of another day: when all will be rectified beyond exception to every one's fatisfaction. In the mean while, then, my foul, let me not make Providence but Scripture my rule. For however I may be out in judging by the former, I am for ever fure in going by the latter. Which lays it down for eternal truth, that the wicked man is a miferable man, however he escapes or profpers in this world and that none can undo or harm any that are followers of that which is good, and followers

of

of God, as dear children; what rough and severe ufage foever they meet with here, nothing fhall ob. ftruct their complete and eternal blifs hereafter; nor ever be able to feparate them from the love of God, which is in Chrift Jefus our Lord.

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JUS

THE PRAYER.

UST are all thy judgments, O Lord, and ઃઃ never to be blamed; but they are a great deep that cannot be fathomed. Still thou haft good reason to do as thou doft, though that rea"fon may be to me fo much in the dark, that Į "can only stand still, and admire, and revere, what "I am not able to account for. O who maketh me "to differ; and what am I better, that, like as "others have done, I should not fuffer! Bleffed for "ever be that diftinguishing mercy, which has "caufed the deftroying angel to pafs over my "door; where I know how juftly thou mighteft "have done the fame execution. I tremble before thee, O Lord, and yet I rejoice with the trembling; and to thy name I give the glory that I "have escaped fuch calamity. O never let me en"tertain an unworthy thought of my all-wife, and juft, and good God; but justify, and clear, and "adore thee in all evermore. Amen."

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MEDITATION XXIX,

Of the usefulness of afflictions.

O count them happy that endure; and think good to be afflicted; and pronounce the man bleffed, whom the Lord chafteneth: fuch, my foul, is the doctrine of God's Word: but O how strange

does