Be persuaded that God loves you, and that you love God, and you will know also that all things shall work together for your good.
Romans 8:28: We know, that all things work together for good to them that love God, and are the called according to His purpose.
There are a few duties I would exhort believers unto.
1. Admire the wonderful goodness of this God, who makes all things work together for good to you. Well may you say, Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth I desire beside thee. Who is a God like unto thee? How great is his goodness!
2. I would charge every soul here, not to make use of this truth to indulge, the commission of one sin, or to go on in the way of sin: What! shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. Shall we do evil that good may come of it? (Rom. vi. 1). What God can do, in his infinite power and wisdom, is one thing; and what we, in faith, may expect, is another. Is any soul here engaged in love to any particular lust? Then, if ever you expect good at the hand of God, O bid adieu to your lusts, saying, What have I to do any more with idols? For, as all things work together for good to them that love God; so all things work together for hurt to them that love sin; and, therefore, away with sin.
3. Entertain good thoughts of God in all the ways of his providence, and whenever the dark side casts up, look over to the bright side of it by faith, and you will see all his ways of mercy and truth to them who fear his name. Beware of harsh thoughts of God. Be restless till you have the persuasion of two things, viz., that God loves you, and that you love God. If you could live in the view of this always, believers, then you would always have this persuasion, too, that all things shall work together for your good.
4. Whatsoever providence may expose you to, yet resolve to live by faith, and to live in love; and then whatever come to pass, you may be satisfied all is well still, and all will be well still. By a life of faith you will feel all things working together for good.
5. Beware of practically contradicting the design of providence in working for your good, or of having any hand in making them work for your hurt, so as to be the worse of them, which people may do many ways; as when, in affliction, they betake themselves unto unlawful means of relief; when they use unlawful means without dependence upon God; when they reckon God’s former favours to be snares and entanglements; when they refuse the comforts of the word under their affliction; (Exod. vi. 9); and when they weary of their life, with Rachel.
6. Beware of censuring and challenging providence, when yet it is working for your good. Men are guilty of censuring the providence of God, not only through atheism, in denying providence; but also through unbelief, in questioning the love of God; through sensuality, in misconstructing all providences, which do not gratify their lusts and carnal desires. Sometimes through hastiness, in passing sentence upon providence, before these signal periods of it come, that would manifest its meaning. Sometimes from ignorance and want of consideration, not knowing that God may send lesser crosses to prevent a greater. (Jer. xxiv. 5).
7. Put a remark upon all the good that you get by the providence of God. Remember how often the cross hath borne down your pride, restrained your predominant lusts, sent you to your prayers, and to a God in Christ, the hearer of prayer. It is necessary to make this remark upon the good of providence, because, when it is made, and well improved, the crosses that you are ready to make arguments for your unbelief would rather prove confirmations for your faith.
8. Join issue with providence, in endeavouring to get all the good you can out of every dispensation, and particularly out of affliction; and that by prayer; (Job xxvii. 10; James v. 13); and by being suitably exercised by them, not despising the chastening of the Lord, nor fainting when he rebukes (Heb. xii. 18); nor despairing of a happy issue; but expecting, according to the promise, that all things shall work together for good.*
“True Lovers of God Highly Privileged; or, the great comfort of believers in the co-operation of all things for their good.” Sermon CIX on Romans 8:28. Ralph Erskine, Practical Works (Glasgow: Robert Urie, 1754, 1755), 2.315–316. This is the second of two sermons in later collections and number CXL in other collections. A version online: https://books.google.com/books?id=054rAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA51#v=onepage&q&f=false
