this respect to wit that they cannot thereby wholy free and deliuer themselues from all troubles and aduersities of this life nor yet bereaue themselues vtterly of all outward wealth and prosperitie but that the same things may happen vnto them whither they liue godly or wickedly that also it further standeth so with men that if they liue godly both their prosperitie and aduersitie are blessings vnto them and on the contrary that if they liue wickedly as well their prosperitie as their aduersitie is a curse vnto them and that to either of them in so high a measure and degree that the prosperitie and aduersitie of the godly are either of them a furtherance vnto them to euerlasting saluation and as it were a pawne that hereafter both here and for euer it shall goe well with them Psal 23. Phillip 1. 28. 2 Thess 1. 5. 6. 7. Whereas vnto the vngodly both their prosperitie and aduersitie are a meanes to further their eternall damnation and as it were a pawne and assurance vnto them that hereafter both here and eternally it shall goe euilly and hard with them Leuit. 26. Luke 16. 19. Apoc. 18. 7. We must learne therefore and be admonished hereby if we haue not made a couenant with hell and giuen our selues ouer to the Deuill to forsake and abandon wickednesse which is so much accursed and so damnable and on the contrary to cleaue vnto godlinesse which is so happie and so much blessed and in this regard should we in this manner argue and reason with our selues I know very well that a godly course of life and conuersation is much better then a loose vngodly and wicked course as yet I haue so much feare of God in me and if I can in any sort effect that which I desire by good and honest meanes I rather desire so to liue then to follow lewd wicked and vngodly courses and to vse wicked wrong and euill practises to obtaine onely some profite pleasure credit furtherance and benefit which thereby I hope to get But now I am taught that in respect of the outward things of this life it fareth almost alike both with the godly vngodly therefore I may much better attaine vnto an vpright life by the way of godlinesse then by the way of vngodlinesse And withall if I consider it well I cannot but remember that to the godly both prosperitie and aduersitie are blessings and on the contrary that to the vngodly both prosperitie and aduersitie are curses for that there is an after-reckoning to bee made in the world to come wherein euery one shall bee rewarded according to that which he hath done whether it be good or euill and after that followeth the eternall Iudgement whereby the vngodly are disposed of and presently sent downe to the bottome of hell where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth world without end and on the contrary the godly are taken vp into heauen where all joy aboundeth and happie life eternall is obtained for them by our Sauiour Iesus Christ And if in any wise I should doubt of these things to come yet the same are of so great waight and consequence that it behooueth euery man earnestly to thinke on them and to haue a care to make sure worke thereof seeing that wisedome teacheth vs not to prepare onely for difficult inconueniences which wee know certainely will come but to bee carefull also to preuent such as may come vpon vs and the rather cause to seeke to attaine vnto these outward things that I desire by godly meanes for that by following godlines in true faith without feare of any aduersitie my meate will not be lesse sauory nor my sleepe lesse sweete yea all my actions will thereby bring and procure more fruit and comfort vnto mee and how much more since that then I shall liue without feare of death and hell and in an assured hope of heauen and eternall saluation In regard hereof therefore I am fully determined to leaue and aband on all vngodlinesse and to follow godlinesse and to deny my selfe and to giue my mind wholly to serue the Lord my God and no longer to fullfill the desires of the flesh whereon so many miseries do depend but to follow the will of God which onely is good during my mortall dayes that hereafter I may alwaies liue eternally in heauen In this manner or the like by thinking vpon the things before declared should we set our harts vpon the way of godlinesse and the feare of God so cast our lot into the lap of the godly knowing that without doubt it shall goe well with such men And to the end that wee may bee enduced and enabled the more diligently to follow godlinesse by meanes of Gods workes done here vnto vs and others which he bringeth to passe in this world wee will endeuour further to declare and show how and in what manner wee must prepare our selues to know learne and reape some good out of Gods workes for the furtherance of the feare of God and godlinesse in vs and what speciall fruits we may reape thereby CHAP. XV. How wee may profit by all the workes of God which hee doth vnto vs and other men in this world THat we may reape good and conuenient fruit here on earth by the workes of God done among men wee must by that which happeneth vnto vs as also to others yea and out of all things that are done in the world and which are known vnto vs diligently consider and be thereof thoroughly perswaded how true euery word and sillable of Gods holy word is how firmely and certainely it is fulfilled and how constantly and peremptorily that daily proceedeth and falleth out in this world which he saith in his word that hee will bring to passe that in all things and at all times we may say with the Church of God As we haue heard so haue wee seene in the Citie of the Lord of hosts in the Citie of our God God will establish it for euer Selah Psalm 48. 8. And with Salomon speaking to the Lord That which thou hast promised to him and spakest with thy mouth to thy seruant Dauid my father and hast fulfilled it with thy hand as it is this day 2. Chron. 6. 15. And to the end that this may bee thus effected to our comfort and benefit we must indeuour our selues in the whole course of our liues narrowly and earnestly to marke and consider whatsoeuer falleth out of any weightie consideration that we here see done or suffer in this life be it temporall or spirituall and whatsoeuer is against vs that is done in the world and commeth to our knowledge and compare them with that which God hath made manifest in his word and protested that he 〈…〉 bring to passe or effect and accordingly nâ—tâ— and consider seriously and vndoubtedly that what soeuer God hath foreshewed in his word hee daily bringeth to passe in his workes To this purpose God hath
of men and wholly vnsearchable He hath his wayes in the Seas Psalm 77. 19. And his footsteps are not knowne and his waies past finding out There is no wisedome nor vnderstanding nor counsell against the Lord Prou. 21. 30. Our goodnesse extendeth not to him Psalm 16. 2. Neither can our wickednesse hurt him Iob. 35. 6. 7. 8. Therefore it fareth so with the workes of God that whatsoeuer God doth it shall bee for euer nothing can be put to it nor any thing taken from it Eccles 3. 14 in such manner as experience teacheth that although those that are most diligent and carefull in their affayres goe forward therewith yet many times euen the most diligent and carefull men faile and are crost in their proceedings so that we may well say with Salomon I returned and saw vnder the Sunne that the race is not to the swift nor the battaile to the strong neither yet bread to the wise nor yet riches to men of vnderstanding nor yet fauour to men of skill but time and chance happeneth to them all Eccles 9. 11. And therefore consider wee the time and the chance which God the Lord hath onely reserued to himselfe Acts 1. 7. so that it dependeth wholly on him ⸪ CHAP. IIII. Why God so ordereth his workes as wee thinke here in this world that in a manner they follow of necessitie and ruleth in such sort that it is commonly and ordinarily found that man by his owne wisedome or power can deither adde thereunto nor diminish any thing from them SALOMON expresly setteth downe vnto vs that God so ordereth his workes and heauenly prouidence to the end that men should feare him Whatsoeuer God doth it shall be for euer nothing can be put to it nor any thing taken from it and God doth it that men should feare him Eccles 3. 14. That is that men should not forsake him nor dispise his workes neither yet cleaue vnto nor depend vpon any man but onely vpon God That the wise man may not glory in his wisedome nor the mightie man in his strength nor the rich man in his riches but that hee that glorieth glorie in this that hee vnderstandeth and knoweth that God is the Lord which exerciseth louing kindnesse iudgement and righteousnesse on earth Ieremie 9. 23. 24. By that which before hath been said touching the admirable and strange workes of GOD wrought and brought to passe among the children of men We are taught first not to trust vpon or vnto our owne wisedome diligence beautie strength friends riches nor any other terrestriall thing whatsoeuer it may bee which yet are many times esteemed to bee fit and necessarie for the bringing of worldly matters to passe and to further our proiects but onely to feare the Lord our God and to remember that hee holdeth a greater hand ouer vs then all those things doe Eccles 5. 8. Secondly before and aboue all things to attend to his good will and pleasure touching the euent thereof as much as in vs lieth and as much as possibly we may in all the meanes and wayes which God setteth before vs and which he will haue the children of men to vse and whereby also he commonly vseth to prosper their actions and to blesse them And herein wee must the rather be specially carefull for that the peruerse children of men who by nature are wickedly bent vse to draw another conclusion from this point of doctrine that all things do in such manner depend on God for they conclude not from therice that therefore aboue all things they must onely depend vpon the Lord their God but on the contrary that they need not therefore refraine from euill doing but that they may still follow after their owne lusts and take their pleasures as long as they can They take likewise further occasion thereby to walke most carelesly and dissolutely here on earth with more greedinesse to commit sinne and wickednesse and desperately to enter into all kind of mischiefe reasoning thus with themselues and saying How can I helpe it seeing all dependeth vpon God my resolution is therefore to lay hold on the time and to take my pleasure while I may Whereas on the contrary they ought rather to learne much more to feare the Lord and call to mind and say that seeing all dependeth on God hew much ought I to feare that God who onely can do good or euill vnto me Yea so would they both thinke and doe if they beleeued that this wonderfull God is also a good God But doing other-wayes they shew thereby that they sollow the nature and steps of the Deuill that expecteth no good from the hands of God This conceite of the vngodly must bee cleane banished from vs and we must remember that all things depend vpon God and therefore so vse the meanes that before aboue all things wee seeke and labor to haue God on our side in euery thing that we doe We must also feare him in such manner that we must hold and esteeme all that God doth to be good right and well done although we cannot see nor perceiue the cause or the reason of his actions A Childe seeth his Father doe many things in the house whereof hee cannot conceiue the reason and yet neuerthelesse he reapeth benefit and fareth the better thereby So must we also 〈◊〉 and often times thinke with our selues thaâ— Gods thoughts are not our thoughts nor our wayes hiâ— wâ—â—es for as the heauens are higher then the earth so his wayes are higher then ours and his thoughts then our thoughts Esa 55. 8. 9. And consequently that although Gods wayes vnto fleshly men seeme not to be right yet we must not with the Israelites say the way of the Lord is not equall Ezech. 18. 25. Nay although God suffer the vngodly to liue in great wealth prosperitie and pleasure here in this world and on the contrary maketh the godly to turne his backe vpon the enemie letting them that hate them spoyle them giuing them like sheepe appoynted for meate and scattereth them among the Heathen selleth them for nothing and doth not increase his wealth by their price maketh them a reproch to their neighbours a scorne a derision to them that are about them maketh them a by-word among the Heathen a shaking of the head among the people so that their confusion is continually before them and the shame of their faces doth couer them for the voices of those that reproch and blaspheme them by reason of the enemie and reuenger Psal 44. 10. c. Yet we must thinke well of the wayes of God must not murmur against him nor say that hee hath wrought iniquitie Iob 36. 23. Neither must we by any meanes thinke or conceiue That God should doe wickednesse or that he should commit iniquitie Iob 34. 10. or that the Iudge of all the earth should not iudge right Gen. 18. 25. or that the wise God that giueth the labourer wisedome to plow his Land
Euen then when they ouercome and spoyle the people of God and lead them Captiues away with them as a prey They doe nothing els but in a manner heap vp a great deale of wood stubble and straw with coles of fire vnder them which at the last burnes them all vp For so the Lord himselfe witnesseth saying In that day will I make the wildernesse of Iudah like a harth of fire among the wood and like a torch of fire in a bundle of straw Zach. 12. 6. And againe And in that day will I make Ierusalem a burthensom stone for all people all that burthen themselues with it shall bee cut in peeces though all the people of the earth bee gathered together against it Zach. 12. 3. Hearken what the Lord in this respect againe and againe commaundeth and oftentimes willeth his Prophets to shew to the world Thou Son of man sayth he Prophesie to the mountaines of Israell and say Ye Mountaines of Israell heare the word of the Lord Thus sayth the Lord Because the enemie had sayd against you Aha euen the auncient high places are ours in possession Therefore prophesie and say Thus sayth the Lord God Because they haue made you desolate and swallowed you vp on euery side that you might be a possession vnto the residue of the Heathen and yee are taken vp in the lips of talkers and are an infamie of the people Therefore yee Mountaines of Israell heare the word of the Lord God Thus sayth the Lord God to the mountaines and to the hills to the riuers and to the valleyes to the desolate wasts and to the Citties that are forsaken which are become a prey and derision to the residue of the Heathen that are round about Therefore thus sayth the Lord surely in the zeale of my ielousie I haue spoken against the residue of the heathen and against all Idumea which haue appoynted my Land into their possessions with the ioy of all their heart with dispitefull minds to cast it out for a prey Prophesie therefore concerning the Land of Israell and say vnto the mountaines and to the hils and to the riuers and to the valleyes Thus sayth the Lord God Behold I haue spoken in my ielousie and in my fury because you haue borne the shame of the heathen therefore thus sayth the Lord God I haue lifted vp mine hand surely the heathen that are about you they shall beare their shame But yee O Mountaines of Israell you shall shoot forth your branches and yeeld your fruit to my people of Israell for they are at hand to come Ezech. 36. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. And for that the Lord intendeth to deale in this manner with his owne people and with their enemies when they ouercome and oppresse them he pronounceth a woe vnto Assyria by the Prophet Esay that for this cause because they were to ouer-run and oppresse the people of Israell for a tyme like durt in the streete saying O Assyrians the rod of mine anger and the staffe in their hand is mine indignation I will send him against an hypocriticall Nation and against the people of my wrath where hee vnderstandeth his owne people that because of their sinnes had a long tyme sore offended him I will giue him a charge to take the spoyle and to take the prey and to tread them downe like the mire in the streets Esa 10. 5. 6. To this end also the Lord witnesseth that hee delayed to take reuenge for the bloud of his Children vntill more of them were slaine for his truth sake that at one time he might visite the enemies of his truth in their owne houses make a iust reckoning with them Apo. 6. 9 10. 11. Wherby it is manifestly to be seene That the Lord suffereth the enemies of the truth somtimes to haue the vpper hand because that alreadie by reason of their great sinnes and offences committed against him they haue in such manner offended him that in his wrath he thinketh it fit to slacke the bridle vnto them and to suffer them to proceed from bad actions to worse for their heauier iudgement and condemnation This also must be vnderstood and conceiued in matters of lesse moment wherein the Children of the world without reason and lawfull ground get the vpper hand ouer the Children of God as when they meete together in battaile in the field or in any towne or in prayer or at a marriage or such like and there are slaine murthered or spoyled in all other such like occurrents And thus the Lord findeth occasion both in regard of his owne people and of their enemies now and then to make his people the foote and not the head that he suffreth them to lie vnder feete and the enemies of the truth to tread vpon them which whosoeuer well waigheth and considereth with an vnderstanding heart hee shall soone perceiue see that there is no cause of doubt to be made or scandall to be found in these workes of the Lord. CHAP. IX Further Iustification of the aforesaid Doctrine which the Lord sheweth vs out of his word touching his proceedings with the Children of men against the people of God in our age THat wee may further Iustifie this poynt touching Gods proceeding with his people and their enemies and discusse the difficulties and troubles which in these times are in diuers places brought vpon Gods people by their enemies we must after the like manner with due respect speak generally both of the proceedings of the people of God and of their enemies That the light of the Gospell hath long tyme shone most clearly in this age as those that know any thing as they ought to doe can tell and that the same hath beene sleightly regarded both by friendes and foes all those plainely see it that haue receiued any light at all from the Lord our God Many both great and small both mightie Potentates and meane men long since and oftentimes with all their mights haue strouen against the same and sought vtterly to dam and smother it vp by all the meanes they could esteeming that to be a false light which is only able to lead and guide them to the way of saluation Others that in some sort had a liking thereunto haue made no great account nor estimation thereof but haue suffered it in such sort to shine and so serued their turnes therewith that they were content to liue where it was and sometimes to come where it shoane without making any reckoning to accept or to make profession thereof And amongst those that proceeded so farre that they haue accepted thereof as a rule of their faith and an order of liuing well there are many found that haue no care orderly and as they ought to doe to walke in the light thereof so that on this side also many lamentable offences haue beene ministred and doubts beene raised to cause controuersies and errours This the Lord God the Father of lights hath seene and
of God done among the children of men for the most part are hidden from vs and incomprehensible yet that which our good God hath openly made knowne vnto vs in his word instructeth and inableth vs with speciall profit fruit and comfort to marke and looke into the workes of God It remaineth then that wee set downe and further speake of certaine notable fruits that grow out of that which wee haue before set downe which wee will doe in the Chapter following ⸪ CHAP. X. That without contradiction it appeareth by the aforesaia order of the workes of God done among the children of men that there shall bee an after reckoning made with all the children of men in the world to come SEEING that it is euidently knowne that God the Lord is a righteous Iudge For the workes of man shall bee rendred vnto him and he will cause euery man to finde according to his wayes Iob 34. 11. and that it is alwayes found that the Lord in this world maketh no euen reckoning with the children of men when hee suffereth a godly man all his life time to liue in great trouble and aduersitie and to dye therein and sendeth great riches and ioy to an vngodly man all his life long and they haue no crosses but their strength is firme Psal 17. 14. and Psal 73. 4. And also by experience in the common course of the world it is found that many of the deare children of God are persecuted and euilly dealt withall onely because they take Gods cause in hand are iealous of God honour seeke the spreading abroad of the Gospel and the prosperitie of his people and that it oftentimes fareth so with them that they are oppressed and lose their liues therefore as it happeneth also to many other Martyrs of God and faithfull witnesses of his truth Apoc. 2. 13. wee must of necessitie therefore hence conclude That God for certaine will make an after reckoning in the world to come for it can by no meanes stand with the righteousnesse and goodnesse of our God that hee should indure or suffer his owne children and his faithfull seruants who for the fulfilling of his will did not refuse to yeeld their liues into the enemies handes and to dye and that for his cause were shamefully handled cursed abased and slaine should not be reuenged Luke 18. 7. 8. Apocal. 6. 9. 10. 11. Could a iust and an vpright Prince endure that his trustie seruants and officers should be assayled persecuted and slaine by his subiects because they seeke to mainetaine and vphold his lawfull commandements and to see them executed without taking their causes in hand reuenging their blood and punishing the offendours as they had deserued Much lesse will the Lord suffer the hard dealing with and handling of his children that are slaine and murthered in this world to goe vnreuenged Therefore if there were no other reasons then that onely for which God should make a common reckoning with the children of men at the latter day yet were this cause enough for it So the Apostle setteth downe the necessitie of the last day of iudgement to consist vpon this That the godly are here oftentimes so cruelly oppressed by the vngodly and saith to the Thessalonians that it is a manifest token of the righteous Iudgement of God that yee may be counted worthie of the kingdome of God for which yee also suffer seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Iesus shall bee reuealed from heauen with his mightie Angells 2 Thess 1. 5. 6. 7. Then also it shall be made manifest though it bee neuer so much forgotten here in the world and how little regard or knowledg soeuer seemes to be taken of the godly and those that are righteous That God harkened and heard it and a booke of remembrance was layd before him for them that feared the Lord and thought vpon his name and accordingly it shall then also be knowne what difference there is betweene the righteous and the wicked betweene him that serueth the Lord and him that serueth him not Mala. 3. 16. 17. 18. Herewith the godly also must comfort themselues as the Prophet also witnesseth and take heede that they partake not with the vngodly of whom Salomon sayth Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to doe euill Eccl 8. 11. But they must rather seeing God here in this world permitteth things to passe in such manner bee thereby more certainely assured that hereafter there shall come a great day of judgement wherein all things shall be made right and set straight and euery one shall be rewarded according as hee hath done whether it be good or euill Act. 3. 21. and 2 Cor. 5. 10. And accordingly the more crossely and confusedly we see things done and executed here in this world the more must wee learne to make reckoning of the great day of Iudgement make full account thereof and prepare our selues for it holding for certaine as Salomon also in the aforesaid place witnesseth That though a sinner doe euill an hundred tymes and his dayes be prolonged yet surely I know it shall be well not with the vngodly but with them that feare God which feare before him Eccl. 8. 12. This therefore should moue all the godly to long for the last day the comming of the Lord when we shall not onely be reuenged for all their hard speeches which vngodly sinners haue spoken against him Iude 15 And all instruments that are formed against vs shall not prosper Esa 54. 17. But besides that all the partes and pieces of that great worke of the prouidence of God ouer the things of this world that here are so confusedly cast together vpon a heape shall be seene to be laid very orderly by the wise and powerfull hand of our God and from them wee shall see a most notable peece of worke to bee framed and brought forth wherein the vngodly with their wicked workes shall serue as shadowes Eccl 8. 13. to set more beautie and luster vpon the great glory of the Children of God who shall then glister like the Sunne Mat. 13. 34. As also the godly are to expect the same for this cause that howsoeuer they cannot here conceiue why this or that thing comes so to passe yet they may assure themselues when the Lord shall come to Iudgement to make all straight and to bee glorified in his Saints 2 Thess 1. 10. Hee will then bring forth so glorious a peice of worke and shew it vnto vs that wee shall alwayes reioyce therein and prayse and glorifie our God for the same world without end CHAP. XI That not all outward prosperitie is a signe that the Lord loueth that man to whom he sendeth the same SIth by all that which is said before it manifestly appeareth that God