xxvii. 1; a course which, as appears by the temptations and evils he

met with there, was altogether unwarrantable. That from a distrust men are next put upon unwarrantable attempts, is clear from the following reasons:—

[1.] First, _The affrightment which is bred by such distrusts of providences will not suffer men to be idle_. Fear is active, and strongly prompts that something is to be done.

[2.] Secondly, Yet such is _the confusion of men’s minds in such a case, that though many things are propounded, in that hurry of thoughts they are deprived usually of a true judgment and deliberation_, so that they are oppressed with a multitude of thoughts, as David on the like occasion takes notice, ‘In the multitude of my thoughts within me,’ &c., [Ps. xciv. 19;] and, as he expresseth the case of seamen in a storm, ‘they are at their wits’ end.’

[3.] Thirdly, _The despairing grievance of spirit_ makes them take that which comes next to hand, as a drowning man that grasps a twig or straw, though to no purpose.

[4.] Fourthly, Being once turned off their rock, and the true stay of the promise of God for help, _whatever other course they take must needs be unwarrantable_. If they once be out of the right way, they must needs wander, and every step they take must of necessity be wrong.

[5.] Fifthly, _Satan is so officious in an evil thing_, that seeing any in this condition, he will not fail to proffer his help; and in place of God’s providence, to set some unlawful shift before them.

[6.] Sixthly, And so much the rather do men close in with such overtures, because a _sudden fit of passionate fury doth drive them, and out of a bitter kind of despite and crossness_—as if they meditated a revenge against God for their disappointment—_they take up a hasty wilful resolve to go that way that seems most agreeable to their passion_, saying with king Joram, ‘What wait we upon the Lord any longer for?’ [2 Kings vi. 33.] We will take such a course, let come on us what will.

_Applic._ The service which the observation, well digested, may perform for us, is very fully contained in an advice which David gives on the like occasion, Ps. xxxvii. 34, which is this, ‘Wait on the Lord, and keep his way.’ Failures of ordinary means should not fill us with distrust, neither then should we run out of God’s way for help. He that would practise this must have these three things which are comprehended in it:—

[1.] First, _He must have full persuasions of the power and promise of God_. I do not mean the bare hearsay that God hath promised to help, and that he is able to deliver, but these truths must be wrought upon the heart to a full assurance of them, and then we must keep our eye upon them; for if ever we lose the sight of this, when troubles beset us, our heart will fail us, and we shall do no otherwise than Hagar, who, when her bottle of water was spent, and she saw no way of supply, sat down, gave up her son and self for lost and so falls a-weeping over her helpless condition. This was that sight of God, in regard of his power, goodness, faithfulness, and truth, which are things invisible, Heb. xi. 27, which kept up the heart of Moses, that it sunk not under the pressure of his fears, when all things threatened his ruin.

[2.] Secondly, He that would thus wait upon God _had need to have an equal balance of spirit in reference to second causes_. Despise or neglect them he may not, when he may have them, for that were intolerable presumption; and so to centre our hopes and expectations upon them, as if our welfare did certainly depend upon them, is a high affront to God’s omnipotency, and no less than a sinful idolizing of the creature; but the engagements of our duty must keep carefully to the first, and the consideration of an independency of an almighty power, as to any subordinate means or causes, must help us against the other miscarriage. When all means visible fail us, we must look to live upon omnipotent faithfulness and goodness, which is not tied to anything, but that without all means, and contrary to the powers of second causes, can do what he hath promised or sees fit.

[3.] Thirdly, There is no waiting upon God, and keeping his way, without _a particular trust in God_. To this we are not only warranted by frequent commands, ‘Trust in the Lord, I say, trust in the Lord,’ but highly encouraged to it under the greatest assurances of help: Ps. xxxvii. 5, ‘Trust in him, and he shall bring it to pass.’ ‘Trust in the Lord and do good, and verily thou shalt be fed,’ ver. 3. The Lord shall help and deliver them, because they trust in him. And this we are to do at ‘all times,’ and in the greatest hazards, and with the highest security: ‘I laid me down and slept; I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about,’ Ps. iii. 5, 6.

_Quest._ But some, possibly, may say, Is it our duty to sit still in such a case? When all the usual ways of supply fail us, must nothing be attempted?

_Ans._ (1.) I answer, first, _At such times greater care and diligence is necessary in outward things_. That what one lawful course cannot help, another lawful course may; and as to spiritual diligence, it should be extraordinary. We should be more earnest and frequent in prayer, fastings, meditations, and the exercise of graces.

(2.) Secondly, While we are in the pursuit of duty, and where the substance of it may be preserved entire, if our straits and wants unavoidably put us out of the way, _we may be satisfied to go on, though some circumstances be necessarily waived and hindered_. Phinehas might kill Zimri and Cosbi upon the command of Moses, Num. xxv. 5; and consequently in prosecution of duty, though, other circumstances considered, it was in some respects extraordinary.

(3.) Thirdly, But let the strait be what it will, _we must not forsake duty_; for so we go out of God’s way, and do contradict that trust and hope which we are to keep up to God-ward.

_Quest._ But, it may be further urged, must we, when all means fail, positively trust in God for those very things which we might expect in an ordinary way?

_Ans._ In some cases our duty is _submission to his will_, and the particular mercy neither positively to be expected not yet distrusted. Thus did David behave himself when he fled from Jerusalem upon Absalom’s rebellion; ‘Let him do what seemeth him good.’

But there are other cases wherein it is our duty to fix our trust upon the particular mercy or help. I shall name four; and possibly a great many more may be added. As,

[1.] First, _When mercies are expressly and particularly promised_: as when the kingdom was promised to David; when a son was promised to Abraham. Whatever had been the improbabilities of their obtaining the thing promised, it was their duty positively to believe. This is indeed not a general case.

[2.] Secondly, _When God leads us into straits by engaging us in his service_: as when Israel followed the Lord into the wilderness, in order to an enjoyment of a further mercy, which was the possession of the land of Canaan. When they had no water to drink, nor food to eat, and saw no natural possibility of supply in that wilderness, they ought positively to have expected supplies from God in an extraordinary way; and it is reckoned up against them as their sin that they did not believe. This was the very case of Christ under this temptation; the Spirit led him into the wilderness upon the prosecution of a further design. When there was no bread there to satisfy his hunger, he refuseth to work a miracle for his supply, but leans upon an extraordinary providence.

[3.] Thirdly, _When the things we want are common universal blessings, and such as we cannot subsist without_. If we have nothing to eat, and nothing to put on, yet seeing the body cannot live without both, we must positively expect such supplies from providence, though we see not the way whence they should arise to us. This kind of distrust, which reflects upon the general necessary providence of God, by which he is engaged to preserve his creatures in their stations, ‘to clothe the grass of the field, to feed the birds of the air,’ &c., Christ doth severely challenge, ‘Shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?’ Mat. vi. 30. He hath little or no faith, and in that regard a very prodigy of distrust, that will not believe for necessaries. Hence, Hab. iii. 17, the prophet resolves upon a rejoicing confidence in God, when neither tree, nor field, nor flock would yield any hope in an ordinary way.

[4.] Fourthly, _When God is eminently engaged for our help, and his honour lies at stake in that very matter_; so that whether God will help or no, or whether he is able, is become the controversy, upon which religion in its truth or the honour of God is to be tried; then are we engaged to a certain belief of help. The three children upon this ground did not only assert that ‘God was able to deliver them,’ or that their death and martyrdom they could bear, which is all that most martyrs are able to arise up to, but they asserted positively that ‘God would deliver them,’ and that the fire should not burn them. They saw evidently that the contest, whether the Lord was God, was managed at so high a rate, that God was more concerned to vindicate his honour by their preservation, than to vindicate their grace and patience by their constancy and suffering, [Dan. iii.] Another instance we have in Mat.