Divine Conduct, or The Mystery of Providence

Without this, we lose the usefulness and benefit of all the works of God for us or others, which would be an unspeakable loss indeed to us. This is the food▪ our •aith lives upon in days of distress, Psal. 74. 14. Thou •rakest the ⟨p. 125⟩heads of Leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the Wilderness; (i.e.) food to their •aith. From Providences past, Saints use to argue to fresh and new ones to come. So David, 1 Sam. 17. 37. The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the Lyon, and out of the paw of the Bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. So Paul, 2 Cor. 1. 10. Who hath delivered, and in whom also we trust, that he will yet deliver. If these be forgotten o• not considered, the hands of •aith hang down. See Matth. 16. 9. How is it that ye do not remember▪ neither consider? This is a Topic from which the Saints have used to draw their Arguments in prayer for new mercies. As Moses, Numb. 14. 19. when he prays for continued or new pardon• for the people, he argues from what was past, As thou hast forgiven them from Egypt until now. So the Church, Isa. 51. 9, 10. argues for new Providences upon the same ground Moses pleaded for new pardons.

Without this, we lose the usefulness and be•ne•it of all the works of God for us or others, which would be an unspeakable loss indeed to us. This is the food our aith lives upon in dayes of distress,