In this, the longest chapter, Flavel is concerned with showing us the advantages of meditating on Providence. According to our author, we are all quite prone to forget the great workings of God. Therefore, we are urged to frequently meditate upon and jog down for our memory the activities of Providence. These points are fairly self-explanatory and need to a greater exposition; the advantages of meditating on Providence are thus:

• By this means you may maintain sweet and conscious communion with God from day to day
• A great part of the pleasure and delight of the Christian life is made out of the observations of Providence
• Consider what an effectual means the due observation of Providence will be to overpower and suppress the natural atheism that is in your hearts
• The remembering and recording of the performances of Providence will be a singular support to faith in future exigencies
• The remembrance of former providences will minister to your souls continual matter of praise and thanksgiving
• The due observation of Providence will endear Jesus Christ every day more and more to your souls
• The due observations of Providence have a marvelous efficacy to melt the heart, and make it thaw and submit before the Lord
• Due observation of Providence will both beget and secure inward tranquility in your minds, amidst the vicissitudes and revolutions of things in this unstable vain world
• Due observations of the ways of God in His providences towards us have an excellent usefulness and aptitude to advance and improve holiness in our hearts and lives
• The consideration and study of Providence will be of singular use to us in a dying hour

Discussion:

Much of the suggestions in this chapter are not new. Flavel is merely giving further evidences for his argumentation. Throughout this work Flavel has given us much the same suggestions: meditate on the Providence of God because it will make your relationship with Jesus sweeter; meditate on the Providence of God because it will be used to overpower sin; meditate on the Providence of God because it will result in your praise of the Lord; meditate on the Providence of God because it will give you comfort in afflictions. Do you feel, as I do, that this work might have been more effective had it been shortened?

Do believers still have a “natural atheism” in their hearts?

Have you seen in your own experience that remembering the way that God delivered in the past gave more faith for future needs? Do you find it easier to trust God in faith than you did at the first?

How might observing Providence create holiness in our lives?

Do not pry too curiously into the secrets of Providence, nor allow your shallow reason arrogantly to judge and censure its designs.

Like the previous, this section, falls under the heading of “cautions, to prevent the abuse of Providence”. We have been encouraged to dig deeply into the workings of Providence. Such an endeavor can be discouraging and can lead to gross sins. This is why Flavel encourages us not to pry too curiously, nor let our shallow reason arrogantly think that we have the answers.

“There are hard texts in the works as well as in the Word of God. It becomes us modestly and humbly to reverence, but not to dogmatize too boldly and positively upon them,” says our author. Therefore, we ought to be very cautious in approaching these difficult texts. Flavel crafts a wonderful sentence when he says, “…our reason never shows itself more unreasonable than in summoning those things to its bar which transcend its spehere and capacity.”

What happens when we do not heed Flavel’s advice of caution? We are drawn into “unworthy suspicion and distrust of the faithfulness of God”, for one thing. We also are drawn into a “despondency of mind and faintness of heart”. From these things comes, “temptations to deliver ourselves by indirect and sinful means”.

Flavel closes the chapter by saying, “Beware therefore you do not lean too much on your own reasonings and understandings. Nothing is more plausible, nothing more dangerous.”

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If Providence delays the performance of any mercy to you that you have long waited and prayed for, yet see that you do not despond, nor grow weary of waiting upon God for that reason.

This is under the heading of “cautions, to prevent the abuse of Providence”. This is not one of Flavel’s main points but rather a digression, to keep us from abusing what he has prior said. This section concerns itself with attempting an answer to delayed mercies. Often times we interpret delays as denials. Therefore, we ought to learn patience. Sometimes it is not the proper season for us to receive such a mercy. Other times we are still under afflictive circumstances because they have yet to fulfill their duty. At other times the Lord is waiting to make the deliverance all the more sweet. Yet, even though we know these things we can still become angry and confused with God. Therefore, Flavel offers 6 suggestions to keep us from doing that:

1. Consider that the delay of mercies is for your advantage
2. It is a greater mercy to have a heart willing to refer all to God and be at His disposal than to enjoy immediately the mercy we are most eager and impatient for. (In other words, glorifying God through patience is a greater mercy than the gifts. Godliness is better than gifts)
3. Expected mercies are never nearer than when our hearts are lowest
4. We are unfit for these mercies, that is why they are delayed
5. Consider that the mercies that you wait for a pure graces; they are not owed to you
6. Think of how many men that are as good as you are cut off from all mercies of God for eternity

Flavel has a certain way of shutting us up doesn’t he?

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Work up your hearts to those frames, and exercise those affections which the particular providences of God that concern you call for.

Did John Flavel have Jonathan Edwards or John Piper write this section? Flavel’s point here is that God has planted in our hearts various affections and there are certain providences that are used to draw forth these affections. When the situation is sad we ought to respond in a fitting manner. When providence affords us happiness, then in joviality we ought to respond. Yet, in all workings of providence we ought to keep our spiritual joy and comfort. Flavel asks a few rhetorical questions to get the discussion going:

• Why should we be sad since we have infinitely more to be joyous about than sad?
• Why should we be sad since God is with us in all our troubles?
• Why should we be sad since God is not at enmity with us?
• Why should we be sad since we know that God will work even these sad providences to our good?
• Why should we be sad since we know that we will soon never suffer again?

Then we move to what mostly concerns this section: How can such joy in the midst of difficult circumstances be possible? Flavel says consider these things and it will lead to true spiritual joy:

• Mortify your inordinate affections to earthly things
• Dwell much upon the meditation of the Lord’s near approach
• Exercise heavenly-mindedness
• Maintain a contented heart with what the Lord allots you

Flavel then gives four recommendations to the unregenerate, to stop their mouths during difficult times.

1. Hell and eternal damnation are the portion of your cup. Whatever is short of this is a mercy.
2. Even though you have nothing that entitles you to mercy, you have a few.
3. If you are to be rescued out of this damnable condition it will probably come through affliction.
4. All these troubles are pulled down on your own head by your own sins

But what should we say to the regenerate in difficult circumstances? What can encourage us?

• Consider your spiritual mercies and privileges with which the Lord has invested you
• Consider your sins; that will make you contented with your lot
• Consider how near you are to the change of your condition

Return to The Mystery of Providence Chapter 9