IN your Sermon at Pauls on the last Lords Day, you were pleased to speak against the following of Providence, a Truth which lies upon my spirit as a Duty, and that from Scripture grounds; yet though you spake against following of Providence, I hope you light not the hand of Providence (as too many do amongst us) but fin­ding you (in your Discourse with me after Sermon) to deny the Voyce of Providence, and to acknowledg your self only an admirer of Provi­dence, which I was the more confirmed in, by your negligent (I will not say wilful) omitting, to take notice in your Prayers of the great Works of Providence, now on foot amongst our selves, and betwixt us and the neighbor Nation, which certainly call for more than meer ad­miration from us, and questionless do speak forth Instruction and Cau­tion to all the People of the Land; I therefore thought it might be ve­ry seasonable to cleer up (if I may) this Truth unto you, That there is a Voyce in the Providence of God, and that his Providential Workings do hold forth unto us both Instruction and Caution: And that I may not exceed the bounds of an Epistle, I will wave al Apologies, and come presently to the Work it self; which shall be in the first place, to set down that stumbling-block which you laid before me, and then to en­deavor the removal of it, by asserting it to be your duty (as well as mine) to follow God in the waies of his Providence.

For the First, You laid down this Position, That they only which love Gods Law, can have the peace of a good Conscience; In prosecution of which, you shewed, that there were many people in the world, who neglecting the Rule of the Law, thought to find peace of Conscience, by following the imaginations of their own hearts: and then you told us of one sort of men, that cry up Custom, as if that were the only Rule to walk by: And secondly, Of another generation of men more holy than the other, who will follow the examples of the Saints: And then third­ly, "Of another sort of men, and they (forsooth) are followers of Pro­vidences; men that pretend themselves followers of Providences; and these men, let a thing be never so wicked, if it be successful, they will mask it over with the name of Vertue: Those that are followers of Pro­vidences, had they been in the same Ship with Dyonisius, when he did rob and spoyl the Temple, they would have been of the same mind with him, that the gods did approve it, because he had a prosperous gale, and [Page 2] ‘a fair wind to carry him away; These people, had they lived in Jeroboams daies, they would have worshiped Jeroboams Calves; had they lived in Jeremiahs daies, they would have had their hands busied in making Cakes for the Queen of Heaven: Beloved, I am as great an Admirer of Pro­vidences as any, and I know God is holy in all his waies, and righteous in all his Works, but God did never ordain that his Providences should be the Rule of Life; God will not have us to follow his Providences, but his Precepts; shew me a place in all the Scriptures, that directs us to follow the Providences of God: Beloved, those that are followers of Providences, assure your selves, they are seekers of themselves, and what ever they find in the present, in the end they shall find no peace to their souls, for there can be no peace to those that follow this Rule:’ These are your own words.

Now I shall appeal to your Conscience, whether herein you have not condemned the just with the unjust, in saying, That let a thing be ne­ver so wicked, if it be successful, the followers of Providence will mask it over with the name of Vertue: I deny not, but some men may do so in some particular act, I justifie them not; but must the followers of Pro­vidence be condemned for them? Remember what Solomon saith, He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord. And whereas you take upon you to affirm, what they would have done, had they lived in such and such time, take heed, lest in judging another, you condemn not your self, saith our Savior to his Dis­ciples, ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of; and faith the Apostle, Let him that standeth, take heed lest he fall. And though you take upon you, to pronounce them that are followers of Providences to be seekers of themselves; I dare not judg others, I desire to look inwards, and to know my own heart, which never yet told me, (though I have followed Providences,) that I sought my self, and not the publick good, or my self more than the publick good; and I wish that the jeerers at, the sligh­ters of, and the admirers of Providences, prove not indeed self-seekers. And although you peremptorily conclude, That there can be no peace to those that follow Providences, and what ever they find in the present, in the end they shall find no peace to their souls; I dare not beleeve it because you say it, but desire your Rule for it; and I shall be so charita­ble as to hope that there may be peace in the end, even for them that slight Providences, yea, for them that for the present oppose and walk contrary unto Providences, if the Lord take but off the vail that is before [Page 3]their eyes: Your affirmation, that God did never ordain that his Pro­vidences should be the Rule of Life, if you mean the only Rule of Life, I agree it: and your saying, that God will not have us to follow his Providences, but his Precepts; and your desire to see a place in all the Scriptures, that directs us to follow the Providences of God, brings me to the fecond part of my work, which is,

The asserting it to be your duty (as well as mine) to follow God in the way of his Providences: and here I shall lay down this Position:

That the Providential Works of God, are Instructions and Cautions to les­son men; they are not casual, indeterminate, wild, childish, arrows shot at random, none knows from whom, or at what scope, or mark; no, all the Works of Providence, they are grounded in a wise, and fixed Cause, and they are carried on unto most excellent ends: It is true, the Providential Works of God, they are many times dark and mysterious, and I confess likewise as to our narrow conceptions and apprehensions, they seem to admit of changes, and contradictions one to another; and I acknowledg likewise, that many persons cannot see into the intentions and meanings of God in Providential Works, partly from the imbecil­lity of their judgments, and partly from the obduration of their hearts; but notwithstanding all the difficulty, mysteriousness, and contrariety in the works of Providence; it is yet a real truth, that Providential Works are Instructions and Cautions; not only personal Providential Works, such as are terminated in this or that particular person, but also the common and publick Works of Providence which are conversant a­bout Nations, or Churches in all their Changes and turnings; all of them contain Instruction and Caution.

And that Instructions and Cautions, are not only to be taken out of the Word of God, but out of the Providential Works of God, I shall cleer to you, First by Scriptures, and then by Arguments.

First, by Scriptures; In the 2. Psalm 10. Be wise now therefore, O ye Kings, be instructed ye Judges of the Earth; In the beginning of that Psalm is reported unto us, the rage of the great ones of the Earth against the Lord, and against his Christ; there is likewise reported the successless­ness of all that rage, and counsel; in the 6. verse, Yet have I set up my King; and then the dreadful judgments of God upon all those that did so oppose Jesus Christ in his Government, Thou shalt break them with a rod of Iron, thou shalt dash them in pieces like a Potters Vessel; now from [Page 4]all these works of Providence, doth Instruction and Caution follow in the 10, verse; Be ye therefore now wise, O ye Kings, be instructed ye Judges of the Earth; Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoyce with trembling; Kiss the Son lest he be angry. In the 3. of Zephaniah 6, 7. I have cut off the Na­tions, their Towers are desolate; I made their streets wast that none pas­seth by; their Cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant: I said, surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive Instruction, so their dwelling shall not be cut off: Howsoever I punished them, but they rose early and corrupted their doings. Here are strange works of Providence, destruction upon destruction; and here also is an expectation of God himself, that his people should have received instruction, should have feared him, and amend their waies, even upon their consideration of those judicial acts of Providence: In the 5. of Daniel, 18, 19, 20. and so on: There we reade of Gods Providence in raising up Nebuchadnez­zar to a Kingdom, and Majesty, and Glory, and Honor; this ascribed to the Providence of God; and likewise of his being deposed from his Kingly Throne, because of his exceeding pride, and loftiness of heart, in the 20. verse; and these Providential Works did continue so long upon Nebuchadnezzar, until he had taken out the right Lesson, that which God meant by these Providential Works of his, which is set down in the 21. verse, Till he knew that the most high God ruled in the Kingdoms of men, and that he appointeth them to whomsoever he will: And be­sides this, God did upbraid his son, that he was no more cautioned by these his Providential Works upon his Father; And thou his Son, O Bel­shazzar, hast not humbled thy heart, though thou knewest all this, but hast lifted up thy self against the Lord of Heaven &c. and because he went on in the same sins of his Father, God hath numbred thy Kingdom, and finished it, at the 26. verse. In the 46. Psalm, 10. which Psalm Luther stiles, Specu­lum Providentiae, which containeth in it, First, a Narration of the neer and effectual Providence of God with all his people, in all their straights and distresses: In the 1. verse, God is our refuge and strength, a very pre­sent help in trouble: Secondly, the Heroical faith of the People of God in the apprehensions of that gracious and Providential presence of God, in the 2. verse, We will not fear though the Earth be removed; in the 3. verse Though the Waters roar and swell: Thirdly, Advice unto the Enemies, and to the People of God, the matter of which advice is three-fold, First, To a wise consideration of the wonderful Works of God, in the 8. verse, Come and behold the Works of the Lord, what desolations he hath [Page 5]made in the Earth: Secondly, To an absolute Cessation, in the 10. verse, Be still: Thirdly, To an humble and Righteous acknowledgment of God, Know that I am God; so that it is unquestionable by Scripture, that the Providential Works of God, they are grounds of cleer Instru­ction and Caution.

Now for Arguments, take these,

1. The Works of Providence, they are but the fruits of Gods actual Government of the World: As the making of the World was, so the government of the World is, proper unto God: That which is the ob­ject of Gods Creation, fals also to be an object of Gods Providence. Now this is an unquestionable Truth amongst Christians, that Gods Actual Government, or Administration of the World, as it is Powerful, so it is Wise, Holy, and Righteous; I think no one dare deny this, and if it be so, then it will demonstratively follow, that his Works of Provi­dence are foundations for Instruction and Caution: It cannot be ratio­nally imagined, that all the Visible Works of Providence in the orde­ring and using of all the Creatures in the World, appearing in permissi­ons, restraints, disappointments, judgments, and executions, upon evil men; in directions, defences, supplies, recoveries, and successes vouch­safed to the people of God, by the hand of God, by weak and mean In­struments; it is not imaginable, to a sollid rational man, that all these Acts and Works of God, should be but so many Idols that cannot speak, and so many Cyphers, that must mean nothing at all: If we should see a Master of a Family, laying out himself, in ordering all that is in the Fa­mily, turning, winding, disposing of this business, that servant, no man will imagine, that this man hath no end, no design in all that he doth: That the most holy, Righteous, Wise God, should so turn the World a­bout, do this, make that, fall upon his Enemies, fall in to the help of his People, and yet no Instructions, no Cautions to be formed out of all this, it is most irrational.

2. The Providential Works of God, are many times a cleer help to expound the secret will of God, and many times to expound our selves unto our selves: sometimes they serve to cleer out the Mind or Will of God to us; As we say, the Old Testament is unvailed in the New, so may we many times say, that the secret Will of God is unvailed, and re­vealed in the Doing will of God; As Paul upon that Vision which ap­peared unto him of a man of Macedonia, saying, Come over and help us; he gathered assuredly, that God had called him to preach the Gospel [Page 6]there; so may we, by many actions that have a general foundation, re­ceive a special incouragement, and hint, even by the Providential Works of God, that such things may be done, and ought to be done; so cleer a Commentary is Providence many times upon the secret will of God; And so many times Gods Providential Works do cleer up our selves unto our selves; they many times discover that unto us, which the Word of God doth not; what is the reason why Divines wish, and advise some persons in their afflictions and doubtful conditions, concerning the rea­son of their present correction and affliction, amongst other things, to look into the very correcting hand of Providence, into the very kinds, times, and circumstances of their afflictions? Surely I think this is the end of it, Because in that glass of Providential Chastisement, there is to be seen many times, the very face of our sins, by which we have moved God thus to afflict us, and because we may learn how to carry, and or­der our selves under our afflictions; and usually men do by these. Pro­vidential Works of God, find out the particular and hidden sins, which they would not (at least) find out by the Word of God; as is cleer in Josephs Brethren, not to speak of Adonibezek; and so Davids own case by a stroke of Providence upon Ʋzzah, he learned that which he did not well think of before, how the Ark of God should have been brought in­to the City of God.

3. It is a special part of Wisdom to take our times and seasons: the Scripture saith it is so, in the 8. of Ecclesiastes 5. A wise mans heart discer­neth both time and judgment; and he proceeds in the 6. verse, Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him: what means he by times and seasons? certainly nothing else can be meant by them, but the peculiar hints, advantages, and opportu­nities of Providences: It is a part of Wisdom to lay hold of those advan­tages, and hints that Providence puts into our hands, and because men are not alwaies wise, to lay hold of those opportunities, much misery at­tends upon them; and when the Lord puts into mens hands an oppor­tuniry by his Providence of doing good, and they let such an opportu­nity slip, they are unanswerable to God in the day of judgment, for neg­lecting such an opportunity: Certainly there are then Instructions and Cautions founded upon the Providences of God.

4. The People of God have made use of Gods Providential Works to this purpose; The Prophets preached it, and the Ministers of Christ dayly make use of the dayly Providential Works of God, to exhort, in­courage, [Page 7]ourage, dehort, and Caution men; All the Arguments drawn from ex­ [...]mple, either out of Scripture, or elsewhere, they are but so many Ar­guments drawn from the Providence of God; Nay, the People of God [...]n their most serious, and choyce occasions, amongst other Arguments, have generally used these two Arguments, the Covenant of God, and [...]he Providence of God; in the 51. of Isaiah, 9. Awake, awake, put on [...]trength, O arm of the Lord awake, as in the ancient daies, in the generations [...]f old: art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the Dragon? Mark here how they plead with God from his Providential Works of old; Art thou not it which hath dried the Sea, the waters of the great deep, [...]hat hath made the depths of the Sea, a way for the ransomed to pass over? Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing into Zion. The Church raised up her self upon and from former experience of Gods wonderful Providential Works, to an expection of some an­swerable Work of Providence.

5. Consider how frequently God himself makes his inferences and Conclusions from his own Providential Acts, when he would deter his People from sinning, besides other Arguments, he presents some Provi­dential Works, in the 7. of Jeremiah, 12. Go ye now to my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my Name at the first, and see that I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel: He would take them off from sinning, from the consideration of a former Providential Work against those that did so sin; in the 1 of the Corinthians 10.9, 10. Paul disswades the Corin­thians, and so other persons from divers sins, amongst the rest, from murmuring, and upon what grounds? upon a Providential ground, Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted: And so when God would incourage his people to depend upon him, he remembers his people of his great Providential works, in the 41. of Isaiah, 2. and so on;‘Who raised up the righteous man from the East, called him to his foot, gave the Nations before him, and made him Rule over Kings? he gave them as the dust to his Sword, and as driven stubble to his bow, he pur­sued them and passed safely, even by the way that he had not gone with his feet, who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord, the first, and with the last, I am he:’ Thus the People of God, and God himself did use Arguments, even from his Providential Works, which certainly testifie to us, that there are In­structions [Page 8]and Cautions that are grounded, even upon the Providentia [...] Works of God.

Now for your further satisfaction, and conviction, I shall instance in some Cases, or Occurrences, wherein providential Works may be looked upon as Instructions and Cautions to the Sons of men; which to resolve exactly, as to every individual contingency, or Occurrence to every par­ticular Person, or Nation, I confess is a knot beyond my ability to untie, although I doubt not but that there is a particular special Lesson in eve­ry individual Work of Providence, whether it be in the way of a causing or permitting Providence: Nevertheless, there are seven Cases, wherein unto me it seems unquestionable, that the Providential Works of God, should either Instruct, or Caution men, or do both.

1. When the Work of Providence serveth the Word of Precept, que­stionless, there Instruction and Caution is to be grounded upon Provi­dence. When God expresly commands a Work to be done in his Word, whether of Justice or Mercy, a Work that reacheth unto such persons, whom God calls out for such a Work, and Providences make way, and point out the Duty, in giving time and other occasions to act this duty, that God now hath put upon a man; I think it is unquestionable to any Christian, that here is Instruction or Caution to be looked upon now in Providence: And the neglect of a work of Precept, when Providence hath served an occasion, for the acting of it, it hath cost men very dear; as in Ahabs case, when Benbadud by Providence was fallen into his hand, in the 1 of Kings 20.42. and he spares him, Well, (saith God) because thou hast let go out of thy hand, a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people; which cleerly makes out, that a Work of Providence joyning with a Word of Precept, is to instruct and order men: Because you granted this Case, (and this only) to me in our Discourse, I shall say no more of this, but proceed to some other Cases.

2. When Divine Providence is the accomplishment of any Divine Prediction, no question but that Providence of God holds out some special Instruction, and Caution, answerable to the Nature and Matter of that Prediction: As the Predictions of the Babylonian and Roman Cap­tivities, and Providence bringing about these Predictions, and fulfilling of them, there are Lessons expresly to be Learned from such Providenti­al Acts, which have such a respectedness to Divine Prediction; as to Caution men to take heed of Idolatry, that brought the Babylonian [Page 9]Captivity, and of slighting and contemning Christ, which brought up­on them the Roman Captivity.

3. When Providential Works, are the Executions of Gods threats: As suppose the drowning of Pharoah, the cutting off Ahah in the day of battel, the renting away of the ten Tribes, and giving of them to Jerobo­am; God had expresly threatned these things, and his Providence orde­red the bringing about of these things; Now in such cases as these, and in Cases paralel to them, when God still threatens the same sins in such like persons, and by his Providence cuts off such persons, here is a mani­fest finger of God to point out Instruction and Caution unto men. When the rent was made of the ten Tribes, the Israelites they would go and recover all again; God contradicts them by his Word, as well as by his Providence, in the 1 of Kings, 12.24. Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your Brethren the Children of Israel; return every man to his house, for this thing is of me, saith the Lord: So that this is true, that when Pro­vidential Works are the executions of the threatnings of God, they are Instructions and Cautions.

4. When providential Works step out to the support of the Gospel, and the Servants of Christ, and the avenging of the enemies of the Gospel, it is most apparent that such Providential Works are grounds of Caution to the Enemies of the Church, and of Instruction to the Ser­vants of Christ, who reap the sweetness of such Providential mercies. The Scripture is so cleer for both of these in the Psalms, in the Prophets, and In the Revelations, that a man must profess himself to be stark blind that will not acknowledg it.

5. When Providential Works wait upon a righteous Cause, and the pursuance of that Cause in waies of Righteousness, and those attendan­ces of Providence, are in some respect the very births of the Prayers of the people of God, who would give no rest unto God until he did ma­nifest himself in such and such waies of Providence: undoubtedly, such providential Works ought to be regarded, as well as the Cause it self ought to be regarded; and the persons who have by their prayers en­gaged God in his Providence, to own and maintain his cause for their safety, they are bound likewise to maintain and own those very provi­dential works, that they have wrestled from God, unless they mean to [Page 10]play the fool with God, and their own prayers in finding fault with God for owning them and his cause, and doing them good: The Lord lay not this sin to the Charge of the people of this Land; so that in such a case, when providential Works, are the support of the Cause of Christ, unquestionably they are Instructions and Cautions.

6. In the alteration of Kingdoms, setting up, and pulling down, in setting a period to, or putting a change upon them: And as there is no hand in the world, that hath such an operation in the alteration of Kingdoms, and change of Government, as the hand of God: so the pro­vidential Works of God, in such great alterations, are in a special man­ner to be regarded, and have exceeding much of Instruction and Cauti­on in them; Daniel 4. a Vision there falls into Nebuchadnezzars thoughts, the great tree that flourished so high, and that spread it self so broad, and was at length cut down to the stumps; that Vision short­ly interpreted by Providence to Nebuchadnezzar, it was for this intent, in the 17. verse, That the Living may know that the most high ruleth in the Kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he Will; If the alterations which Providence maketh upon any particular person, or in his estate, bind that person to receive Instruction, and to look well to his waies what he doth; much more do those great Changes that are wrought by the hand of Providence in Kingdoms and Nations.

7. In paralel Cases of Providential Works; when you can match persons and Nations, bring them into the like conditions, and when you can match the providential Works of God, bring them into the like appea­rance; look what Instructions and Cautions, God did give upon his for­mer providential Works, the like Instructions and Cautions are to be ta­ken out from his present providential Works; and what his people might warrantably do in the former condition, what course and way they might warrantably take under the former providential works, that very course and way they may take in their present Providential Works, as warrantably as the former.

Here you see several Cases, wherein the Providential workings of God, do hold forth Instruction and Caution unto us: If by what hath been here set down, you are not yet convinced that it is your duty to fol­low Providences, take but a definition of Providence, as I find it laid down [Page 11]by Ʋrsinus, and I shall trouble you no further: Providence is the Eter­nal, most Free, Unchangable, most Just, Wise, and good Councel of God, whereby he worketh all good things whatsoever are found in all Creatures, and permitteth also evil things to be done, and directeth all things both evil and good, to his glory, and the safety of his chosen.

Where observe, he calls Providence, the Councel of God; so that (saith he) we are to understand by the name of Providence, not only the bare science, or knowledg of things present, and to come, but also the decree, and effectual will of God: and further, Providence therefore is not the bare foreseeing, or foreknowledg, but the foreknowledg, toge­ther with the will of God, whereby he worketh all good things whatsoever, which are found in all Creatures, and permitteth evil things to be done, and whereby he directs all things both evil and good, to his own glory, and the safety of his Chosen.

Now I pray, to what end doth God exercise all these glorious Attri­butes of his, in advising upon, and acting of all things that come to pass in the world? Think you, it is only to work admiration in us, and not to instruct us, Caution us? Consider but our times, what a conti­nuation, what a series, what an harmonious consent there hath been in Works of wonderful Providences; Providences acting strongly, con­stantly, highly, universally, and should all these work only admiration? or is there not Instruction and Caution to be learned out of them by us? I make not success an infallible Character of a righteous Cause, yet I say, when the Lord declareth himself so extraordinarily from Heaven, in the Works of his Providence (as he hath done for us in this Land) it is our duty to eye those Providences, and to search out what Instructions and Cautions the Lord would have us learn from them, that so we may fol­low God in the waies of his Providences, and God may take delight in using us, as Instruments in his hand for the perfecting of those great Works that are upon the wheel amongst us.

I cannot but take notice of the hand of Providence in keeping me in London to hear you, (when as I had appointed some time before to have been some scores of miles distant from it on that day) that so I might have an opportunity thus in meekness to instruct you, who oppose this Truth, if God peradventure will give you repentance to the acknow­ledgment of it.

Having trespassed so much upon your patience already, I shall only desire you (laying self by) seriously to weigh what is here set down; and if upon serious examination of what is here laid down, you are con­vinced of the truth thereof, own it, and practice it, and that in the pra­ctice thereof, you may both for the present, and in the end, find peace to your soul, shall be the prayer of