Credimus esse Deos Vario See Plat. de leg Cic. 3. de Nat. deor Senec. de prouid Aug. 3. de lib. arb 2. Menand apud Stob. Serm. 104. heathen to see good men oppressed and vice prosper it made them doubt some whether there were a God or no others nothing better whether a prouidence or no. But what maruell if they stumbled who had no right knowledge either of God or of his prouidence when Iob and Dauid and other the deare children of God haue beene much puzzled with it Dauid confesseth in Psal. 73. that c Psal. 73.23 his feete had welnigh slipped when hee saw the prosperity of the wicked and certainty downe he had beene had hee not happily stepped d Ibid. 17. into the Sanctuary of God and there vnderstood the end of these men Temporall euills though they be sometimes punishments of sinne yet they are not euer sent as punishments because sometimes they haue other ends and vses and are ordinabilia in melius and secondly they are neuer the onely punishments of sinne because there are greater and more lasting punishments reserued for sinners after this life of which there is no other vse or end but to punish since they are not ordinabilie in melius If we will make these temporall euills the measure whereby to judge of the Iustice of God wee cannot secure our selues from erring dangerously Gods purposes in the dispensation of these vnto particular men being vnsearchable But those euerlasting punishments are they wherein Gods Iustice shall be manifested to euery eye in due time at that last day which is therefore called by S t Paul Rom. 2. e Rom 2.5 the day of wrath and of the reuelation of the righteous iudgment of God Implying that howsoeuer God is just in all his iudgements and acts of prouidence euen vpon earth yet the Counsells and Purposes of God in these things are often secret and past our finding out but at the last great day when f Ibid. 6. he shall render to euery man according to his workes his euerlasting recompence then his vengeance shall manifest his wrath and the righteousnesse of his iudgement shall be reuealed to euery eye in the condigne punishment of vnreconciled sinners That is the second Certainety Temporall euills are not alwayes nor simply nor properly the punishments for sinne If any man shall be yet vnsatisfied §. 6. the third certainety that all Euills of Paine and desire to haue Gods Iustice somewhat farther cleared euen in the disposing of these temporall things although it be neither safe nor possible for vs to search farre into particulars yet some generall satisfaction we may haue from a third Certainety and that is this Euery euill of Paine whatsoeuer it be or howsoeuer considered which is brought vpon any man is brought vpon him euermore for sinne yea and that also for his owne personall sinne Euery branch of this assertion would be well marked I say first Euery Euill of Paine whatsoeuer it be whether naturall defects and infirmities in soule or body or outward afflictions in goods friends or good name whether inward distresses of an afflicted or terrours of an affrighted conscience whether temporall or eternall Death whether euills of this life or after it or whatsoeuer other euill it be that is any way greiuous to any man euery such euill is for sinne §. 7. â—owsoeuer considered I Say secondly euery euill of paine howsoeuer considered whether formally and sub ratione poenae as the proper effect of Gods vengeance and wrath against sinne or as a fatherly correction and chasticement to nurture vs for some past sinne or as a medicinall preseruatiue to strengthen vs against some future sinne or as a clogging chaine to keepe vnder and disable vs from some outward worke of sinne or as a fit matter and obiect whereon to exercise our Christian graces of faith charity patience humility and the rest or as an occasion giuen and taken by Almighty God for the greater manifestation of the glory of his Wisedome and Power and Goodnesse in the remoueal of it or as an act of Exemplary iustice for the admonition and terrour of others or for whatsoeuer other end purpose or respect it be inflicted §. 8. are for the siâ—ne I say thirdly Euery such euill of paine is brought vpon vs for sinne There may be other ends there may be other occasions there may be other vses of such Euills but still the originall Cause of them all is sinne a Psal. 39.11 When thou with rebukes dost chasten man for sinne It was not for any b Ioh. 9.2.3 extraordinary notorious sinnes either of the blinde man himselfe or of his parents aboue other men that he was borne blinde Our Sauiour Christ acquitteth them of that Ioh. 9. in answer to his Disciples who were but too forward as God knoweth most men are to iudge the worst Our Sauiours answer there neuer intended other but that still the true cause deseruing that blindenesse was his and his parents sinne but his purpose was to instruct his Disciples that that infirmitie was not laid vpon him rather than vpon another man meerely for that reason because he or his parents had deserued it more than other men but for some farther ends which God had in it in his secret and euerlasting purpose and namely this among the rest that the workes of God might be manifest in him and the Godhead of the sonne made glorious in his miraculous cure As in Nature the intention of the c see Arist. 2. Phys. End doth not ouerthrow but rather suppose the necessity of the Matter so is it in the workes of God and the dispensations of his wonderfull prouidence It is from Gods Mercy ordering them to those Ends he hath purposed that his punishments are good but it is withall from our sinnes deseruing them as the Cause that they are iust euen as the raine that falleth vpon the earth whether it moisten it kindly and make it fruitfull or whether it choake and slocken and drowne it yet still had its beginning from the vapours which the earth it selfe sent vp All those Euills which fall so daily and thicke vpon vs from heauen whether to warne vs or to plague vs are but arrowes which our selues first shot vp against heauen and now drop downe againe with doubled force vpon our heads Omnis poena propter culpam all Euills of paine are for the euills of sinne §. 9. of the sufferer I say fourthly All such Euils are for our owne sins The Scriptures are plaine a 1 Pet. 1.17 God iudgeth euery man according to his own workes b Gal. 6.5 Euery man shall beare his owne burden c. God hath enioyned it as a Law for Magistrates wherein they haue also his example to lead them that c Deut. 24.16 not the fathers for the children nor the children for the fathers but euery man should be put to death for his own
f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost. in Gen. hom 25. if we will take any warning he may do better to vs than he hath said and not bring vpon vs what he hath threatned A point very Vsefull and Comfortable if it be not derogatory to Gods truth §. 17. How all this may stand with Gods truth Let vs therfore first cleare that and then proceede to the vses If God thus reuoke his threatnings it seemeth he either before meant not what he spake when he threatned or else after when he reuoketh repenteth of what he meant either of which to imagine far be it from euery Christian heart since the one maketh God a dissembler the other a changeling the one chargeth him with falshood the other with lightnesse And yet the Scriptures sometimes speake of God as if he a Gen. 6.6 Psal. 95.10 grieued for what he did or b Gen. 6.6 1. Sam. 15.11 Ierem. 18.8 Amos. 7.3.6 Ion 3.10 repented of what he spake or altered what he had purposed and for the most part such like affections are giuen him in such places as endeauour to set forth to the most life his great mercy and kindnesse to sinfull mankind We all know we cannot indeede giue God any greater glory than the glory of his mercy yet must know withall that God is not so needy of meanes to worke out his owne glory as that he should be forced to redeeme the glory of his mercy with the forfeiture either of his Truth or Stedfastnesse We are therefore to lay this as a firme ground and infallible that our God is both truely Vnchangeable and vnchangeably True c Num. 2◠19 1 Sam. 15.29 The strength of Israel is not as man that hee should lye nor as the sonne of man that hee should repent his words are not d 2 Cor. 1.19.20 Yea and Nay neither doth hee vse lightnesse But his words are Yea and Amen and himselfe e Heb. 13.8 yesterday and to day and the same for euer f Matth. 24.35 Heauen and Earth may passe away yea shall passe away but not the least g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Math. 5.18 tittle of Gods words shall passe away vnfulfilled h Psal. 102.26.27 They may waxe old as a garment and as a vesture shall hee change them and they shall bee changed but he is the same and his yeares faile not neither doe his purposes faile nor his promises faile nor his threatnings faile nor any of his words faile Let Heauen and Earth and Hell and Angell and Man and Diuell and all change still still i Mal. 3.6 Ego Deus et non mutor God he is the Lord of all and he changeth not As for those Phrases then of Repenting §. 8. how God is sayd to repent c. Grieuing c. which are spoken of God in the Scriptures that a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost. in Gen. hom 3. So also ibid. hom 15. 26. 60. in Psal. 6. passim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof S. Chrysostome so often speaketh salueth them God speaketh to vs and therefore speaketh as wee vse to speake and frameth his language to our b Pro captu nostro non pro suo statu Bernard lib 5. de Consid ad Eugen. dulnesse and teacheth vs by c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys. in Psal. 8. our owne phrases what hee would haue vs learne as Nurses talke halfe syllables and d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost. in Psalm 6. lispe out broken language to young children But what is so spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God after the manner of men must yet be vnderstood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so as befitteth the Maiestie and perfection of his diuine nature When he repenteth then we are not so to conceiue it as if God e Nunquam primi consilij Deos poenitet Seneo 6. de benef 23. changed his mind or altered anie thing of his euerlasting purpose and counsell eyther in substance or circumstances it only f Quod dicit Poenilentiam agam intelligigitur metaphoricè dictum nam homines quando non implent quod comminati sunt poenitere videntur Aquin. 1. qu. 19.7 ad 2. importeth that he now doth not that which so farre as we could reasonably coniecture by his words or workes or our deserts or otherwise seemed to vs to haue beene his purpose to haue done This for the Phrases but yet the maine doubt for the thing it selfe standeth vncleared §. 9. the doubt resolued Abimelech and Hezekiah shall dye and yet Abimelech and Hezekiah shall not dye Nineueh shall be destroyed and yet Nineueh shall not be destroyed I will bring euill vpon Ahabs house and yet I will not bring it is not this Yea and Nay is not this a plaine contradiction How is there not here a plaine change of Gods will If not for substance because the things were at length performed yet at least in circumstance because they were not performed at those times and in that manner as they were threatned and foretold That wretched miscreant Vorstius instead of vntying this knot cutteth it who to maintaine Arminian conclusions from blasphemous Principles trembleth not to affirme a Vorst de Deo In parte aliquâ diuini decreti fieri aliquam mutationem that there may be some change made in some part of Gods decree An assertion vnbeseeming an ingenuous Pagane and to be for euer abhorred and held accursed by euery soule that professeth it selfe Christian. Admit this once and let Man yea and the Diuell too be true and onely God a lyer Leaue wee him therefore to the iudgement of that great God whom he hath blasphemed and seeke wee better satisfaction That of Aquinas and the Schoolemen is true but subtile that God doth sometimes b Aquin. 1. qu. 19.7 Velle mutationem though hee doth neuer mutare voluntatem that though hee neuer changeth his will yet hee sometimes willeth a change That of c Cùm exteriùs mutari videtur sententia consilium non mutatur quia de vnaquaque re immutabiliter intùs constituitur quicquid foris mutabiliter agitur Gregor in Moral Gregory is plainer and no lesse true Mutat Deus sententiam non consilium God sometimes changeth the sentence which he hath denounced but neuer the Counsell which he hath decreed Others otherwise diuers men conceiuing the same answer for substance in diuers and different termes That which is plainest and giueth fullest satisfaction and whereinto the answeres of Gregory §. 10. by vnderstanding euer a clause of exception and Aquinas and the rest as many as haue spoken with any truth and pertinency to the point in the last resolution fall is briefly this In the whole course of Scripture Gods threatnings and so his promises too haue euer a condition annexed vnto them in Gods purpose which though it be not euer indeede but seldome expressed yet is it euer included and
desire endeauour of performing that Obedience we haue couenanted yet are they to be embraced euen by such of vs with a reuerend feare and trembling at our owne vnworthinesse But as for the vncleane and filthy and polluted those b Math. 6.6 Swine and Dogs that delight in sinne and disobedience and euery abomination they may set their hearts at rest for these matters they haue neither part nor fellowship in any of the sweet promises of God Let dirty c 2. Pet. 2.22 Swine wallow in their owne filth these rich d Math. 6.6 pearles are not for them they are too precious let hungry e 2 Pet. 2.2 Dogs glut themselues with their owne vomite the f Math. 15.26 Childrens bread is not for them it is too delicious Let him that will be filthy g Reu. 22.11 be filthy still the promises of God are holy things and belong to none but those that are holy and desire to be holy still For our selues in a word let vs hope that a promise being left vs if with faith and obedience and patience we waite for it we shall in due time receiue it but withall h Heb. 4.1 let vs feare as the Apostle exhorteth Heb. 4. lest a promise being left vs through disobedience or vnbeliefe any of vs should seeme to come short of it §. 19. The opening of the Thus much of the former thing proposed the mignifying of Gods Mercy and the clearing of his Truth in the reuocation and suspension of of threatned iudgements by occasion of these words I will not bring the Evill There is yet a Circumstance remaining of this generall part of my Text which would not be forgotten it is the extent of time for the suspending of the iudge I will not bring the Euill in his dayes Something I would speake of it too by your patience it shall not be much because the season is sharpe I haue not much sand to spend I will not bring the evill in his dayes The iudgement denounced against Ahabs house was in the end executed vpon it as appeareth in the sequele of the story and especially from those words of Iehu who was himselfe the instrument raised vp by the Lord and vsed for that execution in 4. King 10. a 4 King 10.10 know that there shal fall to the earth nothing of the word of the Lord which the Lord spake concerning the house of Ahab for the Lord hath done that which he spake by his seruant Eliah Which were enough if there were nothing else to be said to iustifie Gods Truth in this one particular That which Ahab gained by his humiliation was only the deferring of it for his time I will not bring the euill in his dayes As if God had said This wretched king hath prouoked me and pulled down a curse from me vpon his house which it were but iust to bring vpon him and it without farther delay yet because he made not a scoffe at my Prophet but tooke my words something to heart and was humbled by them he shall not say but I will deale mercifully with him and beyond his merit as ill as he deserueth it I will doe him this fauour I will not bring the euill that is determined against his house in his dayes The thing I would obserue hence is That § 20. 5. Obseruation that though it be some griefe to foresee the euils to come when God hath determined a iudgement vpon any people family or place it is his great mercy to vs if he doe not let vs liue to see it It cannot but be a great griefe I say not now to a religious but euen to any soule that hath not quite cast off all naturall affection to forethinke and foreknow the future calamities of his countrey and kindred a Herodot in Polyh Valer. Max. 9.13 Xerxes could not forbeare weeping beholding his huge army that followed him onely to thinke that within some few scores of yeares so many thousands of proper men would be all dead and rotten and yet that a thing that must needes haue happened by the necessitie of nature if no sad accident or common calamitie should hasten the accomplishment of it The declination of a Common-wealth and the funerall of a Kingdome foreseene in the generall corruption of manners and decay of discipline the most certaine symptomes of a tottering State haue fetched teares from the eyes and bloud from the hearts of heathen men zealously affected to their Countrey How much more griefe then must it needes be to them that acknowledge the true God not onely to foreknow the extraordinary plagues and miseries and calamities which shall befall their posteritie but also to fore-read in them Gods fierce wrath and heauie displeasure and bitter vengeance against their owne sinnes and the sinnes of their posterity Our blessed Sauiour though himselfe without sinne and so no way accessory to the procuring of the euills that should ensue could not yet but b Luk. 19.41 weepe ouer the City of Ierusalem when he beheld the present securitie and the future ruine thereof §. 21. yet it is some happinesse to be taken away before they come A griefe it is then to know these things shall happen but some happinesse withall and to be acknowledged as a great fauour from God to be assured that we shall neuer see them It is no small Mercy in him it is no small Comfort to vs if either hee take vs away before his iudgements come or keepe his iudgements away till we be gone When God had told Abraham in Gen. 15. that his a Gen. 15.13 15. seede should be a stranger in a land that was not theirs meaning Egypt where they should be kept vnder and afflicted 400. yeares lest the good Patriarch should haue beene swallowed vp with griefe at it hee comforteth him as with a promise of their glorious deliuerance at the last so with a promise also of prosperitie to his owne person and for his owne time But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace shalt be buryed in a good old age vers 15. In Esay 39. when Hezekiah heard from the mouth of the Prophet Esaiah that all the b Esay 39 6.-8 treasures in the Lords house in the Kings house should be carried into Babylon and that his sonnes whom he should beget should be taken away and made Eunuchs in the palace of the King of Babylon he submitted himself as it became him to do to the sentence of God and comforted himselfe with this that yet there should be peace and truth in his dayes vers 8. In 4. King 22. when Huldah had prophesied of the c 4. King 2.16 20. euill that God would bring vpon the City of Ierusalem and the whole land of Iudah in the name of the Lord shee pronounceth this as a courtesie from the Lord vnto good King Iosiah Because thy heart was tender and thou hast humbled thy selfe Behold therefore