by a sweet and happy experience, that whatsoever God commands us to do, he most certainly knows that it is for our good, and that that is the reason why he commands it. So that when we are entirely subjected to God, our choices and actions will be all directed by an infallible wisdom to our own good. For while we choose what God would have us, our wills are guided by God's wisdom; and so in every genuine act of obedience we are as infallible as omniscience itself. When therefore we are perfectly resigned to God, we shall always will and act with as much confidence and assurance of a happy and prosperous success, as if we ourselves were infinitely wise, and had a perfect comprehension of all possible issues and events. And whilst wretched rebels grope about under the conduct of their own blind wills, and for the most part do they know not what, and go they know not where themselves, but live by chance, and act at random; our wills and actions being wholly steered by an all-wise will, that never fails to measure them by the best rules, and point them to the best ends, we shall be always sure of our hands, and know infallibly beforehand, that every thing we will or do shall conspire to our own good. And this will enable us to perform the everlasting race of our obedience with an unspeakable freedom and alacrity, and always render us wondrous light and nimble, and expedite in our operations. For whereas when men know not what may happen upon such an action, and are not able to pry out all those hidden events that lurk in the womb of their own designs, they always act with caution, and anxiety, and are doubtful and tremulous in their motions; when once we are sure of a good event,

we still go on with courage and cheerfulness: and so we shall ever do, when we ever perfectly will and act under the command of God. For now we shall always see good issues before us, and be firmly assured from that infallible wisdom which governs his will, and by his ours, that every thing we will or do shall be crowned with a happy effect. And this will for ever wing our souls with an unwearied vigour and activity, and render each act of our obedience unspeakably sweet and delightful to us. And now, O blessed mind! what tongue or thought can reach thy happiness; who, living in a most perfect subjection to an all-good and all-wise will, art never in the least concerned or troubled to debate and deliberate what to choose, but dost everlastingly embrace and follow what an infinite goodness and an infinite wisdom hath chosen for thee!

VI. As we are reasonable creatures related to God, we are also obliged cheerfully to trust in and depend upon him for as he is the prop and centre of all the mouldering creation, the almighty Atlas that bears it upon his shoulders and keeps it from sinking into ruin, we and every creature in heaven and earth do hang upon him, and draw our breath from him, and if he shake us off but for a moment, we presently drop into nothing, and perish: for could we exist of ourselves this present moment, we might as well have done so the moment before, and may as well do so the moment after, and so backwards and forward to all eternity; and unless we had such a fulness of essence in us, as to exist of ourselves from all eternity past to all eternity to come, it is impossible we should exist so much as one moment without new supplies from the infinite and independent

Fountain of being. And what can be more fit or reasonable, than that we who are thus borne up by him should freely trust in and depend upon him? than that we should build our hope upon the prop of our existence, and make him the stay of our confidence in whom we live, and move, and have our being? Especially considering what a proper object of trust and dependence he is; and that not only as he is the sovereign disposer of all those issues and events which concern us, but also as he is infinitely wise, and always understands what is good or hurtful to us, and as he stands engaged both by his own essential goodness and free promise never to fail those that put their trust in him; but to manage all their affairs to their everlasting interest and advantage. And in whom can we more rationally confide, than in a Being of infinite wisdom, goodness, and power? that always knows what is best for us, that always wills what he knows so, and always does what he wills? All which considered, it is certainly incomparably more to our interest and advantage that our concerns should lie in his hands, and be managed as he sees best, than that every thing should happen to us according to our own will and desire for there are innumerable things which in the natural series and order of causes are concomitant and consequent to every event, the greatest part of which are out of the sphere of our cognizance; by reason of which it is impossible for us to make an infallible judgment of the good or evil of any event that befalls us; because though we may be secure that such an event singly and apart by itself may be good or evil for us; yet for all we know, there may be such concomitants or consequents inseparable to

it, as may quite alter its nature, and render that evil which considered singly may be good for us, or that good which considered singly may be evil. We earnestly wish for such an event, and are very confident it would be mighty advantageous to us. But, alas! if it should befall us, according to the series of things a thousand others must, and what they will prove we are not able to prognosticate; but for all we know, the mischief of them may abundantly outweigh the benefit of this. And this being so, how extremely unfit are we to make choices for ourselves, since in most particulars it is almost an equal lay, whether what we choose will prove our food or our poison! But now God being the supreme orderer and disposer of things, and having the first link of every chain of causes in his own hands, must needs have an entire comprehension of all the intermediate ones, from the beginning to the end; and his power being not only the cause of all actual events, but also of the possibility of those that shall never be actual, he must needs discern the utmost issues and concomitants of every possible, as well as of every future event, and perfectly understand, not only what will be beneficial or injurious to us, but also what might be so. So that it is impossible for him to be mistaken in his choices, because he knows as well beforehand what things would be to us if they were, as what they are when they do actually exist. Upon the whole therefore, it is doubtless of inestimable advantage to us to be in the hands of God; and verily, next to hell itself, I know nothing that is more formidable, than for God to let us alone, and give us up to our own wills and desires. And should he call to us from heaven, and tell us that he was

resolved to cross our desires no more, but to comply with all our wishes, let the event prove good or bad, we should have just reason to look upon ourselves as the most forlorn and abandoned creatures on this side hell, as persons excluded from the greatest blessing that belongs to a creature; and if we had any hope of his re-acceptance of us, it would be infinitely our interest to resign back ourselves and all our concerns to him, and on our bended knees to beseech him, above all things, not to leave us to ourselves, or throw us from his care and conduct. It being therefore upon all accounts so highly fit and reasonable, and so much to our interest and advantage, that we should freely trust ourselves, and all our affairs, into the hands of God, and depend upon him for the good success of all our honest endeavours and undertakings; that we should acquiesce in his disposal of things, and under all outward events be pleased and satisfied with his conduct, as knowing that howsoever things may happen to us, they cannot be otherwise than as the wise and good God is pleased either to permit or to order and determine them; this, I say, being so fit in itself, and so much for our interest, it is impossible that without it we can be happy either here or hereafter. For since both our being and well-being are wholly dependent on the will of God, and we can neither be, nor be happy one moment longer than he pleases, how is it possible we should ever be quiet and satisfied in our own minds, without a great assurance of and confidence in him? When we consider what a mighty stake we have in his hands, how all our fortunes lie at his feet, and how easily he can frown us into nothing, or spurn us into a condition ten thousand