for you, you can never have what you desire and labor for: and though he have designed to perform this or that mercy for you, yet, for these things he will be inquired of that he may do it for you. I reckon that business as good as done, that mercy as good as if it were in hand, that trouble as good as over, for the doing, enjoying, or removing whereof we have engaged God by prayer. It is our folly to engage this instrument or that, for us to attempt this way and that way to compass our design, and all the while forget him, upon whose pleasure all instruments and means entirely depend. That which begins not with prayer seldom winds up with comfort. O let him that performs all, be owned and acknowledged in all !

5. If God performs all things for us, then it is our great interest and concern in all things to study to please him, on whom we depend for all things.

It is a weighty observation of Chrysostome, that "nothing should be grievous and bitter to a Christian, but to provoke the displeasure of God." Avoid that, and no affliction or trouble whatever can cast you down. "It is with such a soul,"

says he, "as it is with the heavens. Some think the heavens suffer when they are overspread with clouds, and that the sun suffers when it is eclipsed; but no such thing; they suffer not." Thus every thing is well, and shall be well, when all is well betwixt us and God. O that we would but steer our course according to those rare politics of the Bible, those divine maxims of wisdom. Fear nothing but sin. Study nothing so much as how to please God. Turn not from your integrity under any temptation. Trust God in the way of your duty. These are sure rules to secure yourselves and your interest, in all the vicissitudes of this life.

CASES.

1. How may a Christian discover the will of God and his own duty, under dark and doubtful providences?

In order to the clearing of this case we are to consider what is meant by the will of God, and what by those doubtful providences which make the discovery of his will difficult; and then what rules are to be observed for the clearing up of God's will to ourselves.

As to the will of God, it falls under a twofold consideration, his secret and revealed will. The first is the rule of his own actions; the latter of ours: and this only is concerned in the question. This revealed will of God is manifested to us either in his word, or in his works. The former is his commanding will, the latter his effecting or permitting will. In these ways God manifests his will to men, but yet with great variety and difference, both as to the things revealed, the persons to whom he reveals them, and the degrees of clearness in which they are revealed. As to the things revealed, there is great dif ference; for the great and necessary duties of religion are revealed to us in the word, with great perspicuity and evidence, while things of a lower nature and less concern, are left more obscure. As to the persons to whom God reveals his will, there is great difference; some are strong men, others babes; some have senses exercised, others are of weak and dull understanding; and we know every thing is received according to the ability and measure of the person receiving it; hence it is, that one man's way is very plain before him,

he knows what he ought to do; another is often at a loss. The manner of God's revealing his will to men is also very different. Some in ancient times have had special, personal, and peculiar discoveries of it made to them. But now all are tied up to the ordinary standing rule of the written word, and must not expect any such extraordinary revelations from God. The way we now have to know the will of God concerning us in difficult cases, is to search and study the scriptures; and where we find no particular rule to guide us, in this or that particular case, there we are to apply general rules, and govern ourselves according to the analogy and proportion they bear towards each other.

But now it often falls out, that in doubtful cases, we are entangled in our own thoughts, and put to a loss what course to take. We pray with David, that God would make his way plain before us; we are afraid of displeasing God, and yet are fearful we may do so: whether we resolve this way, or that. And this comes to pass not only through the difficulty of the case, but from our own ignorance, and very frequently from those providences that

lie before us, wherein God seems to hint his mind to us this way or that.

That God gives men secret hints and intimations of his will by his providence, cannot be doubted; but yet providences in themselves are no sure rule of duty, nor sufficient discovery of the will of God; else a wicked undertaking would cease to be so, if it should succeed well: but sin is sin still, and duty is duty still, whatever the events and issues of either be. The safest way therefore to make use of providences, is to consider them as they follow the commands or promises of the word, and not single and separately in themselves. If you search the scriptures with an unbiassed spirit, in a doubtful case, pray for counsel and direction from the Lord; attend to the dictates of conscience when you have done all, and find the providences of God falling out agreeably to the dictates of your own conscience and the best light you can find in the word, you may, in such cases, make use of it as an encouragement to you, in the way of your duty. But the most signal demonstrations of Providence are not to be excepted against a scripture rule. No smiles or successes of Providence