3. Obs. Ensuing providences. Set a vigilant eye upon succeeding passages, examine them as they pass before thee, set a wakeful sentinel at the posts of wisdom. His name is near, his wondrous works declare. His name of truth,1 his glorious title of hearing prayers. When prayer is gone up by the help of the spirit; mark how all things work together for good, 2and note the connection there: the working of things together, follows the intercession of the Spirit for all Saints. God is pleased often to speak so clearly by his works, as if he said; here I am, I will guide thee continually, and thou shalt be like a watered garden, whose waters fail not. Secret promises animate prayer, and open providences expound it.3 Cyrus was promised to come against Babylon for the Churches sake. But Israel must ask it of God, and they had a word for it, that they should not seek his face in vain,4 and then follows Babylon's fall in the succeeding chapters. When we cry unto the Lord in trouble, he sends his word of command and heals us. There's a set time of mercy, a time of life, when Abraham had prayed for a son, the Lord told him,5 at the time appointed I'll return. In a great extremity, after the solemn fast of three days by the Jews in Shushan, and the Queen in her Palace, on the fourth day at night the King could not sleep, and must hear the Chronicles of Persia read, and then follows Haman's ruin. Prayer has a strange virtue to give quiet sleep, sometimes to a David, and sometimes a waking pillow for the good of the Church. When Jacob had done wrestling and the Angel gone, at the springing of the morning: then the good man saw the Angel of God's presence in the face of Esau. Sometimes providence is not so quick,6 the Martyr's prayer as to complete answer is deferred for a season, but long white robes are given to every one, a triumphant frame of spirit, and told they should wait but a little season till divine justice should work out the issue of prayer, the thunder upon God's enemies comes out of the temple, the judgments roar out of Zion, 7the place of divine audience, but the means, and methods, and times of God's working are various, such as we little forethink: Submit all to his infinite wisdom, prescribe not, but observe the Embroidery of Providence, its difficult to spell its characters sometimes, but 'tis rare employment.(d)
3. Obs. Ensuing providences. Set a vigilant eye upon succeeding passages, examine them as they pass before thee, set a wakeful centinel at the posts of vvisdom. His name is near, his wondrous works declare. His name of truth,1 his glorious title of hearing prayers. When prayer is gone up by the help of the spirit; mark hovv all things work together for good, 2and note the connexion there: the working of things together, follows the intercession of the Spirit for all Saints. God is pleased often to speak so clearly by his vvorks, as if he said; here I am, I will guide thee continually, and thou shalt be like a watered garden, whose waters fail not. Secret promises animate prayer, and open providences expound it.3 Cyrus was promised to come against Babylon for the Churches sake. But Israel must ask it of God, and they had a vvord for it, that they should not seek his face in vain,4 and then follows Babylon's fall in the succeeding chapters. When we cry unto the Lord in trouble, he sends his vvord of command and heals us. There's a set time of mercy, a time of life, when Abraham had prayed for a son, the Lord told him,5 at the time appointed i'le return. In a great extremity, after the solemn fast of three days by the Jews in Shushan, and the Queen in her Palace, on the fourth day at night the King could not sleep, and must hear the Chronicles of Persia read, and then follows Haman's ruine. Prayer has a strange vertue to give quiet sleep, sometimes to a David, and sometimes a waking pillow for the good of the Church. When Jacob had done wrestling and the Angel gone, at the springing of the morning: then the good man saw the Angel of God's presence in the face of Esau. Sometimes providence is not so quick,6 the Martyr's prayer as to compleat answer is deferred for a season, but long white robes are given to every one, a triumphant frame of spirit, and told they should wait but a little season till divine justice should work out the issue of prayer, the thunder upon God's enemies comes out of the temple, the judgments roar out of Zion, 7the place of divine audience, but the means, and methods, and times of God's working are various, such as we little forethink: Submit all to his infinite wisdom, prescribe not, but observe the Embroidery of Providence, its difficult to spell its characters sometimes, but 'tis rare employment.
- 1Psal. 75 1.
- 2Rom. 8.28. v. 27. Isa. 58.9, 11.
- 3Isa. 45 4, 11, 19.
- 4Psal. 107.19, 20.
- 5Gen. 15.2, 18.10.14. Esth 4.16. & 6.1. Psal. 3.4.5. Eliezer. Gen. 24.15.
- 6Rev 6.11.
- 7Rev. 11.19. Joel 3.16.
- (d)Isa. 64.5 Psal. 111.2•. Eccl. 3.11. 2 Sam. 23.4.
