Conscience in the Iudge Right so if in many things Gods proceedings hold not proportion with those characters of Iustice and Equitie which our weake and carnall reason would expresse wee must thence inferre our owne ignorance not his iniustice And that so much the rather because those matters of Law are such as fall within the comprehension of ordinary reason whereas the wayes of God are farre remoued out of our sight and aduanced aboue our reach and besides an earthly Iudge is subiect to misprision mis-information partiality corruption and sundrie infirmities that may vitiate his proceedings whereas no such thing can possibly fall vpon the diuine Nature Dauid hath taught vs in the Psalme that c Psal. 36.6 the righteousnesse of God is as the great mountaines and his iudgements as the great deepe A great mountaine is eath to bee seene a man that will but open his eyes cannot ouerlooke it but who can see into the bottome of the Sea or finde out what is done in the depths thereof Whatsoeuer wee doe then let vs beware wee measure not d Esay 55.8.9 his wayes by our wayes nor his workes by our workes howsoeuer they seeme to swerue from the rules of our wayes and workes yet still e Psal. 145.17 the Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his workes Though we cannot fathom the deepes of his iudgements for f Ioh. 4.11 the Well is deepe and wee haue not wherewithall to draw yet let the assurance of the righteousnesse of all his proceedings stand firme and manifest as the mountaines which can neither be remoued nor hid but stand fast rooted for euermore This wee must rest vpon as a certaine Truth howsoeuer whomsoeuer whensoeuer God punisheth he is neuer vniust The second Certainty §. 4. The second Certainty concerning temporall To speake of Punishments properly no temporall euill is simply and de toto genere a punishment By temporall euills I vnderstand all the penall euils of this life that doe or may befall vs from our bodily conception to our bodily deaths inclusivè hunger cold nakednesse sicknesses infirmities discontents reproaches pouerty imprisonments losses crosses distresses death and the rest in a word all that a Eccles. 1.13 sore trauell which God hath giuen to the sonnes of man to be exercised therewith and that b Sirac 40.1 heauy yoke which is vpon the sonnes of Adam from the day that they goe out of their mothers wombe till the day that they returne to the mother of all things I say none of all these are properly and de toto genere to bee accounted punishments For to make a thing simply and properly and formally a Punishment there are required these three conditions 1. that it bee painefull and grieuous to suffer 2. that it be inflicted for some fault 3. that it bee inuoluntary and against the sufferers will That which hath but the first of these three conditions may be called after a sort and truely too Malum Poenae a kinde of Punishment But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and properly that Euill only is a Punishment wherein the whole three conditions concurre Now these temporall Euills though they haue the two first conditions all of them being grieuous to suffer all of them being inflicted for sinne yet in the third condition they faile because they are not inuoluntary simply and perpetually and de suo genere inuoluntary to omit also a kinde of failing in the second condition not but that they are euer inflicted for some sinne deseruing them but for that there are withall other ends and reasons for which they are inflicted and wherunto they are intended besides and aboue the punishment of the offence It may not bee gainesaid indeed but these things are inuoluntary sometimes in the particular and especially to some men euen the least of them but simply and vniuersally such they are not since by other-some men the greatest of them are willingly and cheerefully not only suffered but desired Not but that they are grieuous to the best It must needes bee some griefe as to the Merchant to see his rich lading cast ouer-board and to the Patient to haue an old festered sore searched and sindged so to the Christian to haue Gods correcting hand lye heauy vpon him in some temporall affliction The Apostle telleth vs plainely c Heb. 12.11 No affliction for the present is ioyous but grieuous But inuoluntary it is no more in him than those other things are in them As therefore the Merchant though it pittie his heart to see so much wealth irrecouerably lost yet getteth the best helpe and vseth the best speede he can to empty the vessell of them for the sauing of his life and as the Patient though d est planè quasi saeuitia medicina de scalpâ—llâ— Non tamen secari ideirco malum quia dolores vtiles affert vlulans ille gemens mugiens inter manus medici postmodum easdem mercede cumulabit Tertullian in Scorp cap. 5. hee smart when the wound is dressed yet thanketh and seeth the Surgion for his paynes in hope of future ease so the Christian though these temporall euills somewhat trouble him yet he is willing to them and he is cheerefull vnder them and he acknowledgeth Gods goodnesse in them and returneth him thankes for them because hee knoweth they are sent for his future good and that they will at the last e Heb 12.11 yeeld them the peaceable fruite of righteousnesse when they shall haue beene sufficiently exercised therby See f Act. 5.41 Peter and Iohn reioycing when they suffered for the name of Iesus and S t Paul so farre from fearing that g Phil. 1.23 hee longed after his disolution and the blessed Martyrs running to a faggot as to a feast Verily Gods children see great good in these things which others account euills and therefore they take them not as bare punishments sent to afflict them but as glorious tryalls to exercise them as gracious corrections to humble them as precious receipts to purge and recouer and restore and strengthen them So that it is not any of the temporall evills of this life §. 5. and Eternall punishments but much rather the euerlasting paines of hell wherein the just reward and punishment of sinne properly and especially consisteth a Rom. 6.23 The wages of sinne is Death the proper wages of sinne eternall death For so the Antithesis in that place giueth it to be vnderstood viz. of such a death as is opposed to Eternall life and that is Eternall Death The wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is Eternall life Rom. 6. By the distribution of those Eternall punishments then wee are rather to judge of Gods righteousnesse in recompencing sinners than by the dispensation of these temporall euills It was a stumbling blocke to the b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Marmoreo tumulo Licinus jacet at Cato paruo Pompeius nullo
communicating his spirit vnto thee If thou shinest as a starre in the firmament of the Church whether of a greater or lesser magnitude as c 1 Cor. 15.41 one starre differeth from another in glory remember thou shinest but by a borrowed light from him who is d Iam. 1.17 Pater luminum the Father and fountaine of all lights as the Sunne in the firmament from whom descendeth euery good gift and euery perfect giuing Whatsoeuer Grace thou hast it is giuen thee therefore be thankfull to the Giuer But if thou wantest any grace §. 20. 2. of Prayer for those wee want or measure of grace which seemeth needfull for thee in that station and calling wherein God hath set thee here is a second direction for thee where to seeke it euen from his hands who alone can giue it a Iam. 1.5 If any man lacke wisedome saith S. Iames let him aske of God that giueth to all men liberally and it shall bee giuen him A large and liberall promise but yet a promise most certaine and full of comfortable assurance prouided it be vnderstood aright viz. with these two necessarie Limitations if God shall see it expedient and if he pray for it as hee ought Thou mayst pray with an humble and vpright affection and put to thy best endeauours withall and yet not obtaine the gift thou prayest for because being a common Grace and not of absolute necessitie for saluation it may bee in the wisedome of God who best knoweth what is best and when not expedient for thee or not for his Church at that time and in that manner or measure Necessarie Graces such as are those of sanctification pray for them absolutely and thou shalt absolutely receiue them there needeth no conditionall clause of Expediencie in thy prayers for them because they can neuer bee inexpedient But these may and therefore as thou oughtest not to pray for them but with all subiection of thy desires to his most holy and most wise appointments so thou oughtest to take a denyall from him not only contentedly but euen thankfully as a gracious fruite of his loue vnto thee and a certaine signe of the inexpediency of the thing desired §. 21. ioyning euer thereunto But if it be expedient it will not yet come for asking vnlesse it bee asked aright a Iam. 1.6.7 But let him pray in faith saith S. Iames Who so doth not let not that man thinke to receiue any thing of the Lord. Now that man only prayeth in Faith who looketh to receiue the thing he prayeth for vpon such termes as God hath promised to giue it for Faith euer looketh to the Promise And God hath not made vs any Promise of the End other than conditionall viz. vpon our conscionable vse of the appointed meanes And the meanes which hee hath ordained both for the obtaining and the improuing of spirituall Gifts are study and industry and diligent meditation Wee must not now looke as in the infancy of the Church to haue the teats put into our mouthes and to receiue spirituall graces by immediate infusion That Manna as b Hoskins Serm. on Luk. 12.48 one saith was for the Wildernesse But now the Church is possessed of the Land and growne to yeares of better strength wee must plow and sowe and eate of the fruit of the Land in the sweate of our faces and now hee that c 2 Thess. 3.10 will not labour he may thanke himselfe if hee haue not to eate Hee prayeth but with an ouerly desire and not from the deepe of his heart that will not bend his endeauours withall to obtaine what he desireth of rather indeed hee prayeth not at all You may call it wishing and woulding and we haue Prouerbs against wishers and woulders rather than Praying Salomon accounteth the idle mans prayer no better and it thriueth accordingly with him d Prou. 13.4 The saule of the sluggard lusteth and hath nothing Prou. 13. To make all sure then here is your course §. 22. Our owne faithfull Endeauours Wrestle with God by your seruent prayers and wrestle with him too by your faithfull endeuours and hee will not for his Goodnesse sake and for his Promise sake he cannot dismisse you without a blessing But omit either and the other is lost labour Prayer without study is Presumption and study without Prayer Atheisme the one bootlesse the other fruitlesse You take your bookes in vaine into your hands if you turne them ouer and neuer looke higher and you take Gods name in vaine within your lips if you cry Da Domine and neuer stirre farther The Ship is then like to be steered with best certaintie and successe when there is Oculus ad coelum manus ad olauum when the Pilot is carefull of both to haue his eye vpon the Compasse and his hand at the Sterne Remember these abilities you pray or study for are the Gifts of God and as not to bee had ordinarily without labour for God is a God of order and worketh not ordinarily but by ordinary meanes so not to bee had meerely for the labour for then should it not be so much a Gift as a Purchase It was Simon Magus his errour to thinke that a Act. 8.20 the gift of God might be purchased with money and it hath a spice of his sinne and so may goe for a kinde of simony for a man to thinke these spirituall gifts of God may be purchased with labour You may rise vp early and goe to bed late and studie hard and reade much and deuoure the fat and the marrow of the best Authors and when you haue all done vnlesse God giue a blessing vnto your endeuours be as thin and meagre in regard of true and vsefull learning as Pharaohs b Gen. 41.21 leaue kine were after they had eaten the fat ones It is God c 2 Cor. 9.10 that both ministreth seed to the sower and multiplyeth the seed sowen the Principall and the Increase are both his If then wee expect any gift or the increase of any gift from him neither of which we can haue without him let vs not bee behinde either with our best endeuours to vse the meanes hee hath appointed or with our faithfull prayers to craue his blessing vpon those meanes These Instructions are generall and concerne vs all whatsoeuer our Gifts be §. 23. Speciall Inferences to those of more eminent Gifts 1. Not to be proud of them I must now turne my speech more particularly to you to whom God hath vouchsafed the manifestation of his Spirit in a larger proportion than vnto many of your brethren giuing vnto you as vnto his first borne a a Deut. 21.17 double portion of his Spirit as b 4 King 2.9 Elisha had of Eliah's or perhaps dealing with you yet more liberally as Ioseph did with Beniamin whose messe though he were the youngest hee appointed to bee c Gen. 43.34 fiue times as much as
work but without any hearty affection to him God giueth them the outward benefit but without any hearty affection to them For want of which hearty affection on both sides it commeth to passe that neither is the outward worke truely acceptable to him nor the outward benefit truely profitable to them A third reason of Gods thus graciously dealing euen with Hypocrites may be assigned with reference to his owne deare Children and chosen for whose good especially next vnder his owne glory all the passages of his diuine prouidence both vpon them and others are disposed in such sort as they are as for whose comfort this manner of proceeding maketh very much and sundry wayes as I shall by and by touch in the Inferences from this Obseruation §. 26. And inferences thence whereunto I now come because it is time I should draw towards a Conclusion And first by what hath bin already said a way is opened for the clearing of Gods Holinesse in these his proceedings If sometimes he temporally reward Hypocrites it is not either for their owne or for their workes sake as if he either accepted their Persons or approued their Obedience No it is but Lex Talionis he dealeth with them as they deale with him They doe him but eye-seruice and he giueth them but eye-wages Indeede God can neither be deceiued nor deceiue yet as they would deceiue God in their seruice with such obedience as falleth short of true obedience so they are deceiued in their pay from him with such blessings as fall short of true blessings And all this may well stand with Gods both Iustice and Holinesse Secondly it appeareth from the premises that Gods thus dealing with wicked and vnsanctified men in thus rewarding their outward good things giueth no warrant nor strength at all eyther to that Popish corrupt doctrine of Meritum congrui in deseruing the first grace by the right vse of Naturalls or to that rotten principle and foundation of the whole frame of Arminianisme Facienti quod in se est Deus non potest non debet denegare gratiam We know God rewards his owne true and spirituall graces in vs with increase of those graces here and with glory hereafter wee see God rewardeth euen false and outward seeming graces naturall and morall good things with outward and temporall fauours And all this is most agreeable to his infinite both Iustice and Mercy and may stand with the infinite Puritie and Holinesse of his nature But this were rather to make God an vniust and vnholy God to binde him to reward the outward and sinfull workes of Hypocrites for the best naturall or morall workes without Grace are but such with true sauing Grace and inward sanctification Other Inferences and vses more might bee added as viz. thirdly for our Imitation by Gods example to take knowledge of and to commend and to cherish euen in wicked men those naturall or morall parts that are eminent in them and whatsoeuer good thing they doe in outward actuall conformity to the reuealed will and law of God And fourthly for Exhortation to such as doe not yet finde any comfortable assurance that their obedience and good workes are true and sincere yet to goe on and not to grow wearie of well-doing knowing that their labour is not altogether in vaine in as much as their workes though perhaps done in Hypocrisie shall procure them temporall blessings here and some abatement withall I adde that by the way of stripes and euerlasting punishment hereafter But I passe by all these and the like Vses and commend but one more vnto you and that is it which I named before as one Reason of the point obserued viz. the Comfort of Gods deare children and seruants and that sundry waies §. 27. especially for Comfort to the Godly 1. against the prosperitie of the wicked First here is comfort for them against a Temptation which often assaulteth them and that with much violence and danger arising from the sense and obseruation of the prosperitie and flourishing estate of the wicked in this world We may see in the Psalmes and elsewhere how frequently and strongly a Psal. 37. 73 Dauid and b Iob 21.7 c. Iob and c Ier. 12.1 c. Ieremie and other godly ones were assailed with this temptation For thy instruction then and to arme thee against this so common and vniuersall a temptation if thou shalt see fooles on horsebacke vngodly ones laden with wealth with honour with ease Hypocrites blessed with the fat of the earth and the dew of heauen and abundance of all the comforts of this life yet bee not thou discomforted at it or disquieted with it d Psal. 37.1 doe not fre◠thy selfe because of the vngodly neither bee thou enuious at euill doers Thou expectest for thine inward Obedience an vnproportionable reward in the life to come doe not therefore grudge their outward Obedience a proportionable reward in this life Some good things or other thou maiest thinke there are in them for which God bestoweth those outward blessings vpon them But consider withall that as they haue their reward here so they haue all their reward here and whatsoeuer their present prosperitie bee yet the time will come and that ere long be when e Iob 8.13 the hope of the Hypocrite shall wither and f Psal. 37.38 the end of the wicked shall be cut off §. 28. 2. against temporall afflictions Againe here is a second Comfort for the godly against temporall afflictions and it ariseth thus As Gods loue and fauour goeth not alwaies with those temporall benefits hee bestoweth so on the other side Gods wrath and displeasure goeth not alwaies with those temporall afflictions he inflicteth For as he rewardeth those few good things that are in euill men with these temporall benefits for whom yet in his Iustice hee reserueth eternall damnation as the due wages by that Iustice of their grace-lesse impenitency so hee punisheth those remnants of sinne that are in Godly men with these temporall afflictions for whom yet in his mercy hee reserueth Eternall saluation as the due wages yet by that mercy onely of their Faith and Repentance and holy Obedience As Abraham said to the rich glutton in the Parable Luke 16. a Luk. 16.25 Sonne remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy good things likewise Lazarus euill things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented As if he had said If thou hadst any thing good in thee remember thou hast thy reward in earth already and now there remaineth for thee nothing but the full punishment of thine vngodlines there in Hell but as for Lazarus hee hath had the chasticement of his infirmities on earth already and now remaineth for him nothing but the full reward of his godlinesse here in Heauen Thus the meditation of this Doctrine yeeldeth good Comfort against temporall afflictions Here is yet a third Comfort and that of the