I infer hence that it is just with God to suffer wicked men to envy the prosperity of good men because the godly do sometimes envy the prosperity of the wicked here you see David did envy to see Saul prosper and God to recompence Davids sin he would suffer Saul to envy David therefore Saul did hunt and pursue David like a Partridge over the mountains O beloved God doth but pay us in our own coyn Isaac did envy the prosperity of the Philistins and the Philistins were suffered by God to envy Isaac and they stopt up their Wells and would give them no water the reason was meerly out of envy for say they you have more people then we and you are more wealthy then we therefore they denied them water This is just with God to suffer wicked men to hate the prosperity of the godly because they sin sometimes in envying the prosperity of wicked men Fourthly Is it so that we must not be disquieted at the prosperity of wicked men then I infer that prosperity it is no sign either of a good cause or of good men I must not envy them you read in the 73. Psalm the wicked prosper their houses are safe from fear they do not come in trouble like other men yet their cause may not be good nor themselves neither Indeed it is a great vanity when men shall make use of successe and prosperity to be a symptome and an infallible sign from heaven that the cause is good What did we condemn the Papists for If I thought that prosperity were the sign of a good cause and good men I would concur with Papists to make prosperity a sign of the visible Church Beloved we are e'en turned Papists in our days they make it a sign of a true Church and some men among us make it a sign that God approves of what they do because they prosper All our Divines have written against Popery in that point and affirm that rather adversity and persecution is a badge of Gods Church then prosperity SERMON XI Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him The health of my Countenance and my God Use 2 I Proceed to a Second Use by way of Exhortation to perswade you all to labour to check your own hearts for being troubled for the outward prosperity of wicked men and that I may prevail with you herein I shall leave with you these three Considerations First You have no cause at all to be troubled if you consider this What Gods ends are in suffering wicked men for to prosper in this World Secondly If you do but consider the ends themselves that wicked men have that do prosper in the World Thirdly If you do but consider Gods ends why he would not have the godly to be troubled and disquieted at the prosperity of the wicked and what Gods ends are in not suffering his people so to prosper in this World and if these three considerations were seriously considered by the people of God it would take away and allay all murmurings and troubles and disquietness from the hearts and minds of Gods people in seeing wicked men for to prosper in the World First If thou wouldst allay trouble of mind in seeing the wicked to prosper do but consider Gods ends in suffering them for to prosper in the World Now there are Seven ends which God hath all of which might allay the troubles of mind in the hearts of Gods people in seeing wicked men to prosper The First is this God doth suffer wicked men to prosper in the World that so they might have the more opportunity to act their sin and wickedness whereas if they were in a poor and in a low and in an afflicted condition they could not have such opportunities to draw forth those acts of sin and wickednesse that lie hid in their own hearts if these vines of Sodom and if those fruits of Gomorrah were not warmed with the Sun of prosperity we should not see those grapes of God and clusters of bitternesse are in them Now God is pleased for ends best known to himselfe to heap the prosperity of the world upon them to draw out that sin and wickednesse that lieth hid in the heart and to make it to come to publique view have we not a pregnant instance of this in Hazael when he was in power and when he was in prosperity that was an opportunity to discover and draw forth that wickedness that lay hidden in his heart well said the Prophet Thou shalt rip up women with child thou wilt burn their strong holds with fire and slay the young men with the sword and dash their children in the streets But now what said Hazael to the Prophet Am I a Dog that I should doe such things as these are but said the Prophet thou shalt be King and then thou shalt doe it even all these things when he was poor and in a low condition he was not in a capacity to doe this villany I but when the World favoured him and he did begin to prosper and become great in power and great in the World then was the opportunity to draw out this wickednesse the story you may read in 2 Kings 8. 12 13. As we see in our daies if there had not been this licentious liberty and this general toleration amongst us we had not heard of such wickednesse And wicked men would have wanted opportunity to have vented such wickednesse which now is made manifest to the face of the World and the people of God gain good by all this for by this means they come to see what is in mens hearts Dan. 8. 24. 25. 't is said of Auliacus that his power shall be mighty and shall prosper and practice and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people or according to the Chaldee the people of the holy one and through his policy he shall cause violence to prosper in his hands and he shall magnifie in his heart and by peace or prosperity shall destroy many c. If this man had not come to be a King a great man in power and prosperity the wickedness of his heart had not been discovered but his being in prosperity thereby he had an opportunity to draw out that mischiefe that was in his heart to be made manifest to the view of the World There is in Job 12. 6. mention made of a Tabernacle of robbers that prospers God lets them prosper that so they might see the evil that is in their evil hearts a shower of rain falling on the ground it doth cause the weeds to appear which otherwise would not appear The Snake in the Fable when it was frozen it could not sting but when it was in the bosome in the warm then it could sting The Moral is when men are in a low condition in a poor condition then they cannot hurt because they
not prosper in a good way It is possible that the Church of God that hath God and Christ and the truth and all on their sides and yet not to have victorie for to censure men by this you may by the same reason censure Christ and the Church of old and by the same reason you might justifie the Turk and Pope and condemn Christ if you should passe your censure by the victory and prevailing party for enemies have much prevailed against the Church do not censure because of success and that you may free your selves from this unjust censure take this consideration It is a Metaphor drawn from the Trees the one applyed to Christ the other to Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon in Daniel 4. 22. from verse 4. to 12. mention is made of this vision where the King saw a Tree It was in the midst of the Earth and the height thereof was great ver 10. The Tree grew and was strong and the height thereof reached to Heaven and the sight thereof unto the end of all the Earth the leaves thereof fair and the fruit thereof much and in it was meâ—t for all the beasts of the field had shadow under it and the fowls of the Heaven did dwell in the shadow of it and all flesh was fed of it This is to be understood of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon of his Kingdom which did spread over all the earth Now again it is spoken of Christ in Isa 53. 2 3 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground he hath no form nor coneliness in him and when we shall see him no beauty that we should desire him This is the Testimony of this Tree this is meant of Jesus Christ and yet this Tree there is no form or beauty that we should desire it this Tree was nothing comparable to the Kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar for power and greatness and riches in the world and yet Jesus Christ must be a desoised plant So likewise when you see the men of the world for to prosper and to live in prosperity in the world do not censure them that are as low plants in the world poor and low if you doe you must condemn Jesus Christ and the Church of God and the generation of the just Secondly Do not justifie the wicked though they do prosper in the world you must not therefore judge their cause good because they prosper The Papists make their prosperity and successes to be an argument of the truth of their Church and their prosperity to be an argument of their being in the right way Many men make this to be a standing mark and upon all occasions will be ready to justifie evil actions with this Do you not see them prosper all breach of Covenant and all wickednesse and sinful actions they are ready to justifie them because they prosper and none to lift up a hand against them and because they carry all before them this is as bad an action as the Papists they make prosperity to be an argument of the goodnesse of the cause and the truth of their Church When Dionysius had robbed the Church and carried all away that they had he could then say to justifie his action Behold how the Gods favour us he made his prosperity to be an argument to justifie his sacriledge When men have full gales of wind in the prosperity of the World and when they do prosper in an evil course and none to disturbe them and all is well with them and the World at will then can they laugh in their sleeve and think that the God of Heaven doth justifie them in all their actions they have Armies on their side and strength and powers of the World on their side but we have truth on our side and God on our side and though the Church and People of God may be in the dust may be trampled under foot by wicked men yet the time shall come that the Church and People of God shall prevail therefore do not justifie the wicked in an evil way Thirdly Labour to abound in grace as you doe in blessings We read of an Altar made by Moses and also we read of an Altar made by Solomon and that which he made was four times bigger then that which Moses made because Solomon had more riches then Moses had and more peace Moses's was made in the Wildernesse Solomon's in Canaan I may allude to this You that God hath bestowed much riches and caused you to prosper in the World whose estates in the World are four times bigger then others are now God doth require four times more service from you then he doth from others You whose estates are great and come upon you yearly without pains and labour God doth expect that you should imploy your selves to his glory to bring God glory answerable to what is required of you more then he doth expect from handy-craft tradesmen in the world though they must serve God in the performance of those duties which God requires of them they must sequester so much time from their callings and rob their back to serve God and pinch their bellies to do their duties but this is a good exchange to rob their bodies to save their souls It was said of the Athenians the best Land and the best Laws fruntentis uterentur legibus nequaquam they made use of their Land but neglected their Laws take heed your mercies do not make you forget your duties Fourthly Admire not the prosperity of wicked men Haec bona ne putentur mala dantur bonis rursus no putentur summa bona dantur malis Aug Epist 70. these good things that they might not be accounted evil are given to good men and lest they should be thought the onely good are given to wicked men If there be any thing better then other the worst men shall never have them Now grace is the best good in all the World therefore the best men shall have it Now the riches of the World is the worst riches therefore wicked men shall prosper therein Prosperity is not the best good because it is that which God usually doth deny his beloved people and his dear children and bestoweth it on them that are the worst men Now when he shall deny it to his sons and bestow it on slaves it is an argument it is not the best good and thus much for the first Head for which Gods people are apt to be cast down SERMON X. Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him The health of my Countenance and my God Particular 1 I Now come to the Second Particular for which the people of God are cast down and that is because of the calamitous condition of the Church and people of God here in the World However some would hold us in hand that the
Then you read of Daniel Daniel 8. 27. And I Daniel fainted and was sick certain daies Now what was the matter that this good Prophet should be sick and faint for many daies It was trouble of mind onely for this That he by his Prophetical Spirit did foresee the troubles that were comming upon the Church and people of God and that the Church and people of God would deeply and sadly suffer under the reigne of Antiochus and for this cause he was sick many daies which trouble fell not upon the Church of God until many years after his death And in Dan. 8. 11 12. He magnified himself even to the Prince of the host and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away and the place of his sanctuary was cast down And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgresson and it cast down the truth to the ground and it practised and prospered And this trouble and sorrow he did foresee should come upon the Church two hundred years after which made him sick and faint and was sore troubled for many daies and thus you have instances of good men that have been troubled for the Chruches calamities before it came Then Secondly You have instances of good men how they have been troubled for the Churches calamities when it was come upon them to see gray haires upon the head of the Church sorrows and trouble to overtake them this did trouble their spirits You read in 2 Sam. 1. 11. 12. when David had heard that the Philistins had given the people of God a defeat and overthrow It is said that David rent his cloths and David took hold of his cloths and rent them and likewise all the men that were with him and they mourned and wept and fasted until Even for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel because they were fallen by the sword So likewise a full Text to this purpose you have in Nehemiah 1. 2 3 4. when the sad condition of the people of God was brought and told to good Nehemiah he wept Hanani one of my brethren came he and certain men of Judah and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped which were lest of the Captivity and concerning Jerusalem And they said unto me The remnant that are lest of the captivity there in the Province are in great affliction and reproach the Wall of Jerusalem also is broken down and the gates thereof are burnt with fire And it came to passe when I heard these words that I sate down and wept and mourned many daies and fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven c. Here you see how good men have mourned and been exceedingly cast down with sorrow when they have heard of the calamaties that have falne upon the Church and people of God Particular 3 The third Particular Is to shew you the difference between a gracious sympathizing with the troubles of the Church and sinful disquiet because of the calamities of the Church for one is a duty the other is a sin First Gracious sympathizing with the Church in trouble quickens prayer and supplication for the Churches good You read of the Psalmist when the people of God was in great trouble he was in sorrow but his sorrow did drive him to the Throne of grace to pray for them Psal 137. 1 2 3 4 5. If I forget thee O Jerusalem then let my right hand forget her cunning Though the Churches sufferings may make thee sad in spirit yet they must not make thee dead in prayer As they had pity towards Gods Church in affliction so they had also prayer in their hearts for them when they were in trouble that they might have them to be removed whereas they that have excessive sorrow of mind for the troubles and calamities of the Church they are apt to complain to men and to make mone to men of their sorrows but their sorrow doth indispose their hearts to go to God by prayer supplication to have their sorrow removed And those that are so prest down with sorrow as to complain to men and not to God It is an argument that that sorrow is inordinate and sinful because moderate sorrow doth put the soul to seek God at the Throne of grace that so sorrows and troubles might be taken off and removed from the Church Secondly Those men that mourn ordinately and moderately for the calamities of the Church does retain within themselves some good hopes of the Churches recovery Therefore you read in Lament 3. 31 32 33. The Lord will not cast off for ever For though he causeth grief yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies For he doth not afflict willingly or from his heart for so 't is in the Original nor grieve the children of men Here you see that though the Church was in great affliction yet behold they could sympathize with them and mourn for them yet so as to have hope in God for all this they could see and know Gods heart towards them though his hand was seemingly against them he doth not afflict from his heart As if they had said God doth not afflict indeed but it is not willingly it is for sin which he hates in his own people and he is as it were constrained to strike his children it is not his wonted work it is a strange work it comes not from his heart but from his hand therefore they could sorrow in hope of deliverance out of trouble But now sinful dejections cut off hope As you may read in 2 King 7. 18 19. Elisha told the people when there was Famine in Samaria and he told them of great evil that should come upon them afterwards he told them that by to morrow this time there should be sold Two measures of Barley for a shekel in the gate of Samaria Here was great plenty spoken of And a Lord answered the man of God and said Now Behold if the Lord should make windowes in Heaven might such a thing be As if he had said we that are in so deep sorrow so great trouble to day is it possible that we can have so great plenty to morrow But he said Thou shalt see it with thy eyes but thou shalt not eat thereof So many men are like this man so cast down with excessive sorrow for the sufferings of the Church and when the Church of God is low and the enemies of the Church strong they are ready to think that they are so low and their wounds are so great and their enemies so strong that it is impossible to be restored somewhat like the reasonings of the Church at another time Lam. 3. 18 19. And I said my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord Remembring my affliction the Wormwood and the Gall. When their sorrow suffering was so long in Babylon and they did not
of the omission was in a way of disgrace first because the tribe of Dan make a defection from the true worship of God and ran to Idolatry Judges 18. 30. the children of Dan set up the graven Image c. Another reason is because the tribe of Dan did not lay to heart the Calamities of Gods Church when the other tribes were jeoparding their lives in the highest places of the field the tribe of Dan it is said remained in Ships they would let the rest of the tribes shift for themselves they would follow their trade their merchandizing now Divines give that to be the reason because God would put a brand on that tribe the spirit of God would not reckon that tribe among the other tribes This is blame-worthy when the calamities of Gods Church shall be hastning towards and thou leavest that Church and art no way tributary to its help but like Dan remainest in thy ship at thy trade God hates neuters Sort. 2 A Second sort that deserves reproofe are those that are so far from being excessively troubled and disquieted to see things go ill with the Church that they do rather rejoice then are grieved and troubled at it Thus we read of Haman that Monster among men Esther 3. 15. Then went up the posts being hastned by the Kings commandment and the decree was given c. There while Esther and Mordecai and her handmaids and the poor Jews were fasting praying and mourning for their lives in this extremity the poor Church of God was then in the King and Haman must sit down to drink they would be merry and jovial when Gods Church was in great extremity Now the Scripture puts this as a brand to Haman and Ahasuerus They sate down to eat and drinke but the City Shushan was perplexed Thus you read of sensual Epicures Amos. 6. 7. Therefore shall they go captive with the first that go captive and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed Now by the afflictions of Joseph is meant here not the man Joseph but by Joseph here is meant the Tribe of Manasseh and the tribe is called Joseph because Manasseh was the son of Joseph Now the afflictions of Manasseh did not trouble the wicked men of the other tribes the wicked among them were jovial and merry they were not sensible of Gods hand Sort. 3 Thirdly A third sort that are so far from being disquieted at the Churches calamities that they are grieved and disquieted that the Church is in no worse a condition that are troubled that it is no worse with Religion and no worse with the Church of God there are many such men now a days Psal 37. 12. The wicked plots against the just and gnasheth upon him with his teeth Gnashing the teeth it is a gesture of revenge because they cannot have their will in their plots they gnash their teeth and fume and fret at good Ministers disquieted they are that it is no worse with good men and no worse with Religion this is vexation of heart to them A notable text Nehemiah 2. 10. When Sanballet the Horonite and Tobiah the servant the Ammorite heard of it it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel See what venome and rage is in these mens hearts that were but mungrel Jews they were exceedingly grieved that there was a man come that should seek the welfare of the children of Israel Many men gnash their teeth and grieve exceedingly to think that there should be any interest rising up for Religion and for the Church of God nothing in the World doth more grieve them I now come to the third thing for which Gods people are often disquiered and that is for outward afflictions Outward afflictions are oftentimes a great cause of disquiet and discontent in the people of God and that is the third grand cause of disquiet Now herein when I say afflictions are the great causes of disquiet I shall distinguish of the outward sufferings of Gods people into two sorts First there are privative sufferings that is some outward good things that the people of God do want and this greatly troubles them It may be they are poor and want estates it may be want friends it may be sick and want help and more pincht then other men are and this greatly disquiets them Or else Secondly there are some positive evils of sufferings they lie under I shall speak to the first that Gods people should not be disquieted though they do want outward good things to keep them that they might not be disquieted for outward wants I will leave Six considerations with you First Consider thou maiest be sure thou shalt want no outward thing the having of which God doth see good for thee If God saw that thing thou wantest should be good for thee to have thou maiest be sure thou shouldst not want it art thou poor and wantest a livelihood thou maiest be certain God doth see the want of wealth best for thee Psal 84. 11. No good thing will he withhold from c. If it be good for thee he will withhold nothing from thee for that God that doth not grudge to give thee his Son he will not grudge to give thee a little pelf of the World if he saw it good for thee Secondly Consider that God doth let his own people want some outward good things that he might give them better things in the room of them I will give you but a few instances in seeing Job when he was scraping himself on the dunghil and condoling the great loss he sustained or wants he was in you would have thought Job to have been a very wretched man read the Catalogue in the first Chapter of Job how God stripped him naked of all his substance which was Seven thousand Sheep three thousand Camels five hundred yoke of Oxen and five hundred shee-Asses and a very great houshold and his sons and his daughters slain and he himself sorely afflicted and troubled in the want of all outward comforts and accomodations that might make his life comfortable in this world now this was an exceeding great loss to him And yet for all that Job wanted and lost it was made up double to him Job lost a thousand sheep and God gave him fourteen thousand sheep he lost of his camels three thousand and God gave him six thousand camels he lost five hundred yoke of oxen and God gave him a thousand yoke of oxen God gave him double of his substance but not children double but for outward things God gave him double for what he lost If God doth take away a mercy from a man take away an estate God may make it double to that man before he dies Thus Beloved doth God do us wrong surely no. Thus we see it in David when likely to lose his son begotten of Bathsheba he was a sad man for the loss of his