power and glory which to haue knowen and praysed is his chiefe scope And who dare say vnto him why hast thou dealt thus with angels and men * shall the pot say to the potter why hast thou made Rom. 9. 20 mee thus hath not the potter power ouer the cley of one and the same lumpe to make one vessell to honor and another to dishonor For as he hath wrought all things for his owne purpose as visible things to man of inuisible substance Euen so hee sustayneth and conserueth them by an inuisible strength and incomparable power And as Iob sayeth if hee destroy al agayne who shall call him to accompt shall the creature say to the creator why hast thou made mee thus Such rebellion sour moâ—â—ceth in euill all the highe treason that worldly subiects do to theyr Princes the rewarde whereof is death of body * But God condemneth both body and soule into hell Mat. 10 28. Luk. 12. 5. Moses a figure of Christ Iesus fire * Therefore feare him Wee read of Moses as a figure of Christ Iesus And of Pharao as a figure of Satan For as Pharao held the children of Israel vnder him in a slauish subiection vntil God deliuered them by his seruant Moses Euen so doth Satan hold all mankind while wee are in this Egipt this vale of miserie in his filthy slauery vntil God deliuer his elect out of Satans power by his sonne Christ Iesus working by power of his spirit and by seruice of his holy Angels God promised Moses before he sent him back into Egipt Exod. 4. 21. saying * I will harden Pharaos hart that hee shall not let my people goe That is to say I wil blind all his sences that hee shall neither beleue vnderstand nor regard the wonderfull signes and horrible plagues which I wil bring vpon him and his people to their forepointed destruction * For God Exod. 9. 19. Rom. 9. 17. saith to this end haue I raised thee vp and appointed thee that I may shew my power in thee to make my name knowen through all the world Euen so without all contradiction God before the world was did orâ—eine Satan and his adherentes both bodily and ghostly to bee his aduersaries as he raised vp Pharao and hardeâ—ned his hart And gaue Satan and his Angels such an vnspeakable power as should euermore impugne and resist all the good woorkes of God and yet all the glory redoundeth to God himselfe For God worketh all to the ende that his almighty power his infinite goodnes his louing kindnes his mercy and iustice might be the more magnifyed and praised of his elect both Angels and men For as the benefite of light is best discerned by his contrary which is darknes Euen so the almighty and most wonderful power of the infinite God appeareth the more glorious and admirable when the inferiour power which God him selfe hath giuen to Satan is compared with it If any lyst to argue why God hath so dealt with Angels men if the notes of holy Scripture herein coated do not satisfy him I leaue him to dispute with God himselfe vpon whose ordinance prouidence and power euery thing depends without exception for all thâ—nges haue of him their being mouing working and power to dispose and distribute And then it followeth of necessity that Satan dependes on him as sure as all the rest HOW IT HATH PLEASED GOD by the contrary actions and operations of his creatures to manifest his owne glory as wel in iustice as in mercy CAP. 5. THese things are manifest or may easily bee made plaine to euery one of meane wisedome so they bee not vtterly ignorant in holy Scriptures and void of the grace of God And it is not a new opinion to speake of two sortes of men whereof God hath forepointed the one to saluation and the other to damnation Eccl. 33. 10 For Iesus Sirach sayth * All men are of the ground For Adam was created of the Earth but the Lord hath deuided them by great knowledge and made their wayes diuerse some of them hee hath blessed exalted and made them his owne And some of them hee hath cursed and cast downe from the blessed state For as the Cley is in the hande of the Potter so are men and Angels in the hand of their Creator hee may do with them as hee list And hee hath set euil against good the vnbeleuer agaynst the faythful death against life c. So that in the infinite miraculous workes of the most high we may see that there are euer two things the one contrary to the other of insencible things it is proued by Phisick one thing bindeth another looseth one thing comforteth mans nature and another destroyeth it Wee find by experience falshod agaynst truth ignorance agaynst knowledge fleshly loue agaynst spirituall loue loue in adultery and fornication agaynst loue in mariage and godlines false and fayned friendship agaynst true and honest friendship false and idle faith agaynst true and working fayth flattery dissimulation and hipocrisie agaynst plainnes faithfulnes and true zeale of Gods seruice And whatsoeuer vertue there is there is also a vice his contrary and so of euery thing from the beginning First of Angels the good agaynst the euill secondly of men the elect agaynst the reiect the wicked agaynst the godly brother agaynst brother Cain agaynst Abell Ismael agaynst Isaack Esau agaynst Iacob Pharao agaynst Moses a false God agaynst the true God a false Christ against the true Christ For all vertues and vices are contrary And wee see that God in creating all thinges hath made each creature in theyr kyndes and one mortal enemie and deuourer of another for what thing soeuer driueth feare into an other thinge is enemie to the thinge that conceaueth the feare Example The Wolfe to the Sheepe the Firret and Wezell to the silly Conny the Cat to the Mouse the Spider to the Flye are natural deuourers And likewise of al maner beastes and wormes on Earth And whatsoeuer of them the same of the foules of the ayre and fishes in the waters both salt and fresh Finally the same in effect is Satan and his adherents both bodily and ghostly to Gods elect while they remayne on Earth So that euery creature liuing hath by natures ordinance as some speake which is in deede Gods prouidence a mortall enemie and deuourer for as the Wolfe is to the Sheepe euen so in efect is Satan to mankinde And all these hath this almighty God of nature wrought to set foorth his owne glory to Angels and men namely to shew him selfe to bee the wonderfull God of mercy and Iustice For Amos the Prophet sayeth * is there any euill in the Amos. 3. 6. Citty which the Lorde hath not done that is to say is there any plague or other punishment which men call euill that God hath not forepoynted and doth coÌ„maund to bee done * I Esai 45. 67 am Iehouah sayeth God
11 to this litle flocke it is geuen to know the secrets of the kingdome of God but vnto them that are without all thinges are done in parables that they may see and not discern heare and not vnderstand c. Neither wil they * come to the Lords Luc. 14. 16. 10 24. Psal 115. 5. c. Esai 6. 9. Mat. 13. 14. Mark 4. 12 Luc. 8. 10. Iohn 12. 40 Act. 28. 26. Rom. 11. 8. Supper when he calleth * Therefore they are as dead images they haue mouthes and speake not any thing to Gods honor and their own saluation therefore they speake not at all For it is written * Yee shal see indeed but not perceaue yee shall heare but not vnderstand make their Hartes fatte their eares heauy and shut their Eies least they should sâ—e with their eies heare with their eares and vnderstand with their hartes and be conuerted that Christ Iesus might heale them Reade all those places coated in the margent Beleeue and repent which if yee cannot doe aske faithfully of God yee may haue it for the asking if a man may haue meat at his request and wil sterue rather then demaund it hee is woorthy to die of hunger and none to bewayle him Saynt Peter wrote * vnto the elect according to the foreknowledge 1 Pet. 1. 2. 10. 18. read all of God that wee were not redeemed with golde and such corruptible thinges nor by traditions of the fathers but by the precious bloud of Christ Iesus which was ornained to yâ— end before the foundations of the world * we are called 2 20. Iud. 1. 4. 6. to follow him in suffering afflictions * Saynt Iude saith the vngodly turne the grace of God into wantonnes euen ordayned to damnation so were the angels that kept not their Eph. 1. 4. 5. first estate * But God hath chosen vs in Christ Iesus before the foundations of the world to the ende wee should bee holy and without blamâ— before him in loue he forepointed vs to be adopted in Christ Iesus according to the good pleasure of his will * Hee hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling 2 Tim. 1. 9. not according to our woorkes but according to his own purpose and grace which was giuen vnto vs in Christ Iesus before the world was Paul the seruant of God and Apostle of Christ Iesus according to the faith of Gods elect in knowlâ—dge of the truth in god â—iues vnder the hope of eternall life which God that can not lye hath promised before the world began * Which forepointment of God as a secret was kept Rom. 16. 25 26. Colos 1. 26 closse from the beginning except here and there one in euery age but now is opened published by the holy Scriptures at the commaundement of the euer liuing God that thereunto fayth might giue obedience * For in Christ Iesus wee Ephes 1. 16 2. 10 were chosen when wee were predestinat according to the purpose of him that woorketh all thinges after the counsell of his owne will * and wee are his woorkmanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordayned for vs to exercise our selues in them And what soeuer God hath forepointed and established shall neuer bee altred for it is written * My counsell shall stande and I wil do whatsoeuer Esai 26. 10. Rom. 15. 4. I will * Seeing all holy Scriptures are written for our learning then ought we to seek know all the secrets therein contayned and make our profite of them for so is our Iohn 5. 39. maysters will and commaundement * Search the scriptures which testify of mee This foresayd litle flocke chosen of God were forepoynted to suffer all kindes of iniuries and afflictions of the wicked people which God hath not chosen during this lyfe in euery age from the beginning to the ending of the Mat. 23. 3â— World That vppon all the wicked may come the gyltinesse of all the innocent bloud of righteous Abel vnto the blood of Zacharias spilt betweene the temple and the aulter But likewyse the giltines of all the innocent bloud which hath bin is now or shall bee shed from the first to the last in the world Luc. 18. 7. * For shall not God reuenge his elect that cry vnto him day night yes though hee suffer long for them I tell you hee wil reuenge them quickly that is to say â—ffectually euen with the twinckling of an eye Those four rehersed sentences are notes of the true plain song of Gods holy and eternall forepoyntment prickt downe in holy Scriptures by Moses by the holy Prophets and by Christ Iesus himselfe vppon which most pleasant and infallible grounde the concorde of Diuine Musitions the Apostles and their most true followers sithence theyr tyme haue song pleasant and sweet descant each one according to the measuâ—e of this gift receaued of God and prononuced as the holy Ghost wrought in them and gaue them vtterance not varying a note from the firme grounde If men would fall into consideration of this doctrine that God is all in all and worketh all in all and that there procedeth from him both right iustice and tender mercy surely they would feare him for his iustice and they would loue and obay him for his mercy yea they would magnify his eternall and almighty power * and declare the wonders that hee doth among Psam 107. the children of men CONCERNING NATVRES LAWES for all creatures visible and inuisible reasonable and vnreasonable sencible and incensible CAP. 12. THat there bee angels which are spirits both good and euill and that they are the inuisible messengers of God and woorkers of his wil both secret and manifest it is not for any man to doubt thereof seeing holy Scriptures do so largely testify of the same As for their beginning they are the creatures of God as man male and female are And they liue vnder Gods holy laws and ordinaÌ„ces each in their kinde as mankind ought to doe There is a law for holy Angels in their kinde or nature A law for euill angels in their kinde or corrupt nature A law for man male and female contrary to their kinde and corrupt nature Natures law in the firmament in the elementes in the creatures that liue and moue in the waters in creatures that goe and creepe on earth and with fethers flye in the ayre Each of these according to their kindes haue lawes established in them by nature This woord all creatures are to follow the Law of nature moue and to doe as God in the creation did forepoint to each thing in his kind to kepe their natural courses wherin they are bounde and can not erre except monsters come foorth Example The honny Be sucketh the iuice of sweet flowers which turneth into his owne substance that is poison The lyke smell is of Gods elect and the reprobate The holy Scriptures are most precious and sweete flowers out of
behold gaue precepts touching Sampson and assended in the flame of the burnt sacrafice * King Dauid 2 Sam. 24. 17. 1 Kinges 14 5. 7. 43. Luk. 1. 11. 26. saw the angell of the Lord smyte the people and there died â—xx in three dayes at the pestilence * The angell touched Elias and a voyce spake twise vnto him * The angell foretelleth â—achary of his sonne Ihon the foregoer of Christ Iesus The angell Gabrell was sent from God to the Virgin Mary to forewarne her of her conception of Christ Iesus * An angell of God warned Ioseph not to go from his Matt. 1. 20 2. 13. wyfe commaunded him to take the childe and his mother and goe into Egipt called him home agayne when Herod was dead * An Angel of God appeared vnto the sheperdes with Luk. 2. 9. Of Angels and men him a multitude of angels singing praises at yâ— birth of Gods anoyâ—ted and our sauiour the tydings whereof was great * After Satan had tempted our Lorde Iesus the holy Mat. 4. 10. 11 Iohn 5. 4. Luk. 22. 42 c. Act 1. 10. angels came and ministred vnto him * At a certayne season an angell went downe and moued the water of the poole Bethesday alias Siloe and whosoeuer went next into the water was healed of whatsoeuer disease an Angel from heauen appeared to comfort Christ in his agony feare of death * Two angels stood in mens lykenes by the Apostles while they looked stedfastly after Christ Iesus when hee was taken vp into heauen told them that he should come agayne in like manner as he ascended * And against his comming to geue iudgement Mat. 24. 30 c. hee shall send his angels with sounding the trompet togather togeather his chosen people from the fower wyndes that is to say the whole worlde For of all the nations of the worlde some must bee blessed according to the * promise made Gen. 22 18 to the most honorable mere man that euer was Abraham the father of all the faythfull * The law was geuen by the ministery of angels but grace Act. 1. 53. and truth came by Christ Iesus which to that Michaell which with his Angels fighteth full agaynst the dragon Satan and his angels for whom and for the damned seed of Adam * hell tyre was prepared in which they shal be euer tormented Ecul 23. 10. Amos 3. 6. Esai 4 5 6. 7 and neuer rest But * an angels voyce was hard from Heauen saying write Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lorde for they rest from theyr labours so shall not the highe minded bent to wickednes that dye without repentaunce I haue omitted many and many places of holy scriptures concerning the ministry of Angels to auoyde tediosnes But these I haue recited to the end that no man may doubt but euery man assure himselfe that God worketh some time in this worlde by Angels both good and badde For thus it is writen of the holy angels * Are they not all ministering Hebr. 1. 14. spirites sent foorth to minister for theyr sakes which shal bee heyres of saluation Yes doubtlesse and to that end they cocker and flatter the wicked reprobate and preferre them in this world For albeit that God loued and choose Iacob and â—ated and refused Esau yet Esau by following the suggestions of Satan and his angels became of greater power and auctoryty then Iacob during theire lyues in this world * Therfore God is called the father of spirites which were Hebr. 12. 9. created and some of them fallen from blessed state before he created man for neyther angels nor men can keepe themselues from falling if God keepe them not And as the same God is almighty eternall and without beginning or ending so hath he purposed in himselfe before the world was that he would make both angels and men * some to honour and some Rom. 11. 21 to dishonour to shewe himselfe to bee the glorious God of mercy and Iustice The Lord hath made all things for his Prou. 16. 4. owne cause yea euen the wicked for the day of distruction For his election and reiection his choosing and refusing both of angels and men are most euedently proued in holy scriptures For angels thus Saynt Paule prescribing orders in the Election and reiection of Angels Church hath these wordes to Tymothy * I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ and his elect angels that thou obserue these thinges without partialityeâ— Now it followeth of necessity that where when Angels were elected there also theÌ„ angels were reiected For of contraries there is euer a contrary reason and therfore where chosing is there is also refusing of them that bee not chosen But God elected some angels the consequent is hee reiected other some angels for if hee had preserued all and let none fall from him then had there bene no election at all neyther any deuill but some hee chose and some hee refused And iniquity whereof Iob * Iob speaketh was found in those which he had refused by which fall of angels it is manifest that they had a lawe or precept which they transgressed otherwise they coulde not haue committed iniquitie It is Saynt Paule his argumeÌ„t Ro. 14. 15. 2 Pet. 2. 4. * where no lawe is there is no transgression But Saynt Peter sayth * God spared not the angels that sinned Ergo they had a lawe or precept which they brake otherwise they could not haue sinned Thus it appeareth that God hath delt with angels as with men concerning creation election and reiection sauing that all angels sinned not as all mankinde sinned in Adam for wee reade not of the redemption of angels as of the redemption of mankind so many as it pleased God to choose were redeemed So then hee created both angels and men as the cheefe parte of his works purposed in him selfe to set forth his eternal power honor and glory Heâ— made the angels of inuisible substance and man of both inuisible and visible and all both kindes in perfect purity in holines and fredome of will it pleased God to make them in such sorte as he put it in theyr owne choyce to obay or disobay they had power in themselues to keep or change theyr blessed state wheriâ— they were created For if they had not had that choyce in themselues with reuerence be it sayde God could not with iustice haue punished theyr disobedience But God can do nothing vniustly therefore he had most iustly punisht theÌ„ hauing fore poynted which and how many should by his grace stand to serue him in theyr first purity the rest he left to them selues which through infidelity pryde and disobedience fell from theyr blessed state and became his euerlasting enimies Thus it pleased God to make iust matter vnto himselfe to exercise both mercy and iustice which two most excellent vertues do chiefly magnifie and extol his eternall
to obserue it no sorrow for breaking it and although the threatning of the lawe sounding in theyr eares make theÌ„ sometyme afrayed yet they seeke not the righte way to be helped because they followe the suggestions of Satan and theyr owne lustes Therfore I call this blessed lawe the ballance of mans life for by examinatioÌ„ of his life how it agreeth with this lawe euery one may see weygh and know himselfe whether hee bee in tht right or in the wrong in fauoure or out of fauoure with God For whoso regardeth not the lawe * God casteth them of into Rom. 1. a reprobate sence that is into SataÌ„s gouernment to work most filthy and most horrible euils as are recited in the first to the Romaynes And no maruell for the stubberne wicked do wilfully disobey and breake the lawe as it were in dispite of his almighty maiesty which with one blast of winde might consume all enemies And all are Gods enemies great and small so long as they walke not in fayth feare and loue and obedience of his holy lawe And although the whole world is altogeather set on wickednes 1 Ioh. 5. yet Gods Maiesty is neyther endomaged nor trobled thereby For what detriment susteyned God by Adams eating the forbidden fruicce what domage or hindraunce hath God by all the filthy villenyes horrible beastlines comitted by mankinde on Earth As Idolatry Blasphemy Murther Adultry Fornication Periury Theft c. I say none at all for the godhead is not moued with passions neyther troubled with all the vprors and confusions done by Satan and his adhetents in the world but most louingly exersiseth mercy on his elect and most quietly his iustice on his reiect people which hee hath not chosen And albeit he hath ordeined rewards for weldoing punishment for il doing yet man by weldoing brings God no profit nor hindraunce by ill doing For the good and euil that man doth redoundeth to himselfe for the good that man doth hee deserueth nothing because it commeth not of himselfe but the holy Ghost worketh it in him And yet by grace hee Luc. 17. 10. receiueth the rewarde as though it came of himselfe * For when wee haue done all the good that is possible for vs to do wee shall yet be founde vnprofitable seruantes towards God because wee do not that which the lawe comaundeth Contrarywise for the euill that man doth he iustly deserueth damnation for it is his owne worke by yelding to the motions of Satan through infidelity pryde and disobedience and such lyke vices which are the causes of strife betwixt God man And for these causes God did execute his forethreatened sentence vppon Adam and his posterity For Adam had then before his fall freewill as many falsely affirme that all men haue yet that is to say hee had free choyce in himselfe to keepe or breake the holy commaundement wherein hee wilfully refused God rashly chose the Deuill neglected Gods truth and imbraced the lies of the Deuill whereof hee is the father * and the only tempter of mankind to all euill mischiefe Iohn 8. 38. For hee perswaded Eue that the punishment which God had threatned should not bee performed whereupon she enticed Adam And so committed the offence whereby he lost his freewil from him and his posterity for euer 1 Tim. 2. And yet Satan told them truth in one thing as is the common vse of his ministers in this Worlde to mixe truth with falshed the rather to make his lies take place For in eating the forbidden fruicte they knew euil whereas before they knew but good only Satans promise was they should be as Gods knowing good and euill the last poynt was true in in some sence but the chiefe poynt was altogeather false that was how yâ— punishment which God had threatned should not bee performed and that they should bee as Gods But they were sone ashamed of that credite which they had yelded vnto Satans Suggestion and of the breach of that obedience which was commaunded them by their Creator As then it was so is it manifest that now Satan and his worldly adherentes his instruments wicked people by whom he worketh amongest the multitudes namely such as preach false doctrine do many tymes speake the truth and rightly recite sentences of holy Scripture neuer to the good end but either to their owne gayne or to some other wicked purpose such is their nature they can do none otherwise then vpon recital of true and holy sentences make false conclusions And who can resist natâ—râ— except such as are lead by the holy Ghost And yet though mans reason cannot blame them in following nature Neuerthelesse God by his lawe hath ordayned death for such naturall offenders which lawe Kinges Princes and rulers of Nations Countries and Prouinces ought to obay and execute as God commaundeth in his Lawe how iustice from him ought to bee executed Deut. 13. 7 Read the Chapter Mat. 5. 17. 18. Luc. 16. 17. saying * Thyne Eye shall not pitty a false Prophet Preacher or teacher thou shalt not kepe secret his false doctrine but accuse him by order that hee may dye the death thou mayst shew him no mercy * Christ Iesus came not to breake one iot of this Law of Iustice but to fulfill for his elect that which was not in mans power to doe so to make an end of the ceremonies of the Law * which were shadowes Col. 2. 15. of good thinges to come euen figures of the comming of the Messias who came to doe his forepointed office to redeeme the miserable state of mankinde in his elect * whom God saw Ezec. 16. 6. ly weltring in their owne blood past recouery by his owne strength which was the fall of Adam whereby all mankind was damned body and soule * And then God had compassion Exo. 33. 15. Rom. 9. 19. and shewed mercy on whom it pleased him that is to say on those whom hee had forechosen and forepointed For it was Gods pleasure to make Adam of such miraculous complection quality and freedome of will as hee put it freely in his own power and choise to keepe or leaue his blessed state to obay or disobay the holy commaundement And further of a fatherly loue God forewarned him by a terrible threatning to feare him from offending And then seeing Adam would and did wilfully offend God could doe no lesse of his iustice hauing spoken the woord then executed his terrible forethreatned sentence once for all vppon Adam and his posterity for euer * The holy Scripture the woord of God which is as Galat. 3. 22. true as God himselfe hath concluded all vnder sinne which conclusion was decreed in his eternall counsell before this world began And all to bring the rest of his eternall purpose to his forepointed end to haue iust matter for himself to shew mercy and execute iustice Behold the profit that Adam got by knowing good and
the glory of God but how they doe hee best knoweth that is forepoynted to audice their accomptes And although Satan and his trayne both bodily ghostly do euermore deuise mischiefe as is their nature for they can not doe otherwise yet God as often as pleaseth him turneth their wicked purposes the contrary way As when Ioseph his brethren by Satans working in some of them did seeke to kill the poore Innocent the holy ghost wrought in other some of them to withstand that wicked purpose and when some of them had executed their malice by selling him into Egypt for a slaue because hee was so dearly beloued of his father they hated him their malicious entent was neuer to haue seene him agayne And yet it pleased God to turne their mallice and spitefull wicked entent to goodnes vppon themselues Gen. 45. 5. 8 * as Ioseph told them when he made himselfe knowne vnto them yea Ioseph denied it to bee their deede and sayde playnly it was the woorke of God and not theirs And yet it is most true they did it in hatred by Satans working in theÌ„ If wee marke the course of holy Scriptures deuour mens writinges on the same wee shall finde it manifest that euen froÌ„ the beginning the holy ghost hath euer wrought in those whom God hath chosen to their saluation And Satan and his Angels in those whom God hath left vnchosen euer worketh to their damnation And the same seueral working shall continue vnto the ende of this world for as in euery kingdome vertuous or vitious folks are in auctority the common weale for religion frameth accordingly If wee note well the succession of the kinges of Iehudah among two or three and twenty kinges euen from the first king vnto the captiuity of Babilon there are scant fyue praysed for truth honesty and zeale in holy religion Gods true seruice And likewise of the nobility counsellers and maiestrates not one among twenty yâ— rightly and zelously fauoured holy religion which notwithstanding was their profession as now it is ours they bragging stil of the temple of the Lord and wee of the Gospel And yet indeede they did neyther rightly esteeme of Gods holy Law nor yet of his holy seruice in his temple The Princes and states of Israell were reproued for their Ier. 7. 1. 10. 5. 1 Cor. 1. â— 6 Mat. 20. â—6 negligence in Gods seruice * And Saynt Paul telleth vs that not many ritch not many noble not many of high degree are called to saluation much lesse chosen For * many are called but few are chosen of mankinde in generall And this I say that the greatest punishment that God casteth on mankind in this lyfe is to withdraw his holy spirite from him and turne him loose to follow his owne lustes wherein Satan dandles him like a poppit and none are sooner trapt in Satans snaâ—e then some mighty by reason of nobility and wealth being often so affected that none may admonish them without their displeasure But such as can flatter lye and vse pleasant speach suffering them to follow their lustes and desyres such they haue in great estimation Example When the forepoynted tyme of Ahabs confusion drew neare Satan put an ambitious toy in his head to conquer Ramoth in Gilead and when hee sought counsell concerning his enterprise * God sent lying 1 Reg. 22. 20. spirites into the mouthes of foure himdreth of his Prophets to encourage him in his purpose whose counsell hee followed to his destruction hee went on greedily thinking to haue returned a conquerour and was brought home a dead carcas Micheas the prophet of God told him the truth onely hee was beaten for his labour and put in prison Thus as * all thinges worke for the best to them that loue Rom. 8. 28. God euen so to them that loue him not all thinges woorke to the contrary Experience teacheth that the Eliments water ayre earth fyre al the planets signes as Sunne Mone and Stars blustring winds tempests venemous wormes wilde and cruell beastes are Gods instrumentes which he giueth in to satans power sometimes to execute Gods forepointmeÌ„t vpon the reprobate alwayes to theyr confusion sometime vpon the elect for punishment of their sins God thereby calling theÌ„ to repentaÌ„ce as he did Dauid c. The text is plain sataÌ„ was yâ— executioner of gods holy work vpoÌ„ Iob other his seruaÌ„ts Therefore let vs note the discourse by what meanes Satan The meanes and instrumentes by which God worketh Ephes 22. wrought and what instrumentes hee vsed to afflict Iob. * First he stirred vp the ShebaÌ„s on the one side which slue his seruants draue away his Oxen. Secondly Satan brought fire from Heauen * hee being the Prince that ruleth in the ayre and burnt vp his Sheepe and seruantes Thirdly hee stirred vp the Caldeans who came with violence on the other part and both slew his seruantes and draue away his camels Fourthly with a mighty blast of wynde he threw downe the house vppon his Sonnes and Daughters and kild them all so much as God gaue into his power so much hee vtterly deuoured according to his tyrannous nature And yet very ill content that hee could not touch Iobs person which at length hee gaue into his power sauing his life And what sayeth the Text Satan went foorth from the presence of the Lord and smote Iob with sore byles from the soale of the foote vnto the crowne of the head Note it wel he went foorth from the presence of the Lord to doe those things For by this history of Iob it appeareth that deadly enemies Theeues the fyer and the tempestious windes were Satans instrumentes by God his sufferance to afflict Iob and to try his fayth whom neuerthelesse God himselfe commendeth for an vpright iust man fearing God eschewing euil whose witnes is very sufficient to approue the honesty of man Now if the opinions of Heathen Philosophers and some called Christians bee true that the corruption of the ayre commes by concurrences and influences of the planets and signes and of their distemperature commes murrians pestilences botches blaynes burning feuers and other diseases then it should seeme by their opinion that those insencible creatures worke of themselues and cast foorth their effectes at a venture here and there without Gods forepointment which to graunt is a great absurdity and derogation of Gods almightines Yea there are verie many men that haue their wittes so entangled with fancies of Astrologie and Astronomie that they wil take on them to giue a naturall reason for the secret workes of God as though they were subiect to mans corrupt sences Or as though the Elementes planets and signes could breake their naturall courses without Gods forepointment But in this matter of Iob there is no mention of planets nor signes albeit I confesse them to be Gods creatures made to his glory and vse of mankinde and instrumentes by whom hee woorketh his good pleasure for the