times Of that they have been ignorant till they have gone into the Sanctuary and till experience hath afterward taught it them Time was when David a Godly man was mistaken about the Afflictions of Godly men and the Prosperity of Wicked men till he went into the Sanctuary Till then he was as Ignorant as other men So that till then a Godly man may be Ignorant of What is good for man in this life CHAP. II. NOw for the Confirmation of the Proposition I shall confirm it by 1. Scripture 2. Reason 1. By Scripture So we may gather from Scripture two things that may serve to assert the truth of this Proposition 1. Scripture acquaints us with what Disappointments men have met with in those wayes wherein they have dreamt of nothing but good and benefit and advantage to themselves How many have Ruin'd themselves by that by which they thought to have Rais'd themselves Scripture gives us many Instances in this kind of those whose Table hath been their Snare and what they thought should have been for their Welfare hath become their Trap Psal 69. 22. And this shews how men have been mistaken in what is good for them The Scripture furnisheth us with many Instances as those of Ahab in compassing Naboths Vineyard Gehezi in getting the Talents of Silver from Naaman Achan in stealing the Wedge of Gold and the Babylonish Garment Haman in screwing himself into the Favour and Affection of his Prince Israel in asking a King and in asking Quails Scripture shews us how these were mistaken about what was good for them We may say of them this That had they known what had been good for them they would not have done what they did Solomon in Eccles 5. 13. speaks of an Evil that he had seen under the Sun viz. Riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt Surely if the owners had not thought they had been for their good they would not have laid them up 2. Scripture acquaints us with this That there have been many that contrary to expectation have found those things good for them that they thought evil and looked on them as Evils As it tells us of many that found that to be evil to them that they thought to be good for them so of many that have found that to be good for them that they thought to have been evil Scripture furnisheth us with Instances in this particular And here time would fail me to tell you 1. Of Job who looked upon himself as the most Miserable man in the World That God had set him as a Mark to shoot at as if God would make sport with him He tells you how God wrote bitter things against him Yet we see all was for his good And so we see Jam. 5. 15. what end God made with him so that we see by that that Job was mistaken about his Afflictions 2. David Psal 119. 71. confesseth It is good for me that I have been Afflicted Consider time was when David did not think so Time was when David complained of them But see he was afterwards of another mind and tells us It was good for him that he was afflicted In Psal 73. if he were the Penman of it you find there was a time when he was envious at the prosperity of the Wicked and thought them the happiest men and he was troubled at the adversity of the Godly and thought them the most miserable men but afterwards he confesseth his ignorance and mistake in that particular To close up this If you look upon Heb. 12. you shall find the Apostle speaking to Christians under Affliction and endeavours to convince them of their mistake about Afflictions and that they looked upon that as evil which was for their good You shall find this is the scope of the Apostle in the beginning of that Chapter And then vers 7. 8. 9. He tells them they are Chastisements and that they bring forth the quiet fruit of Righteousness q. d. When you come to taste the fruit of these Afflictions you will be of another minde You will find contrary to your expectation that good for you that you thought evil You must judge of the Tree by the Fruit and when you come to taste the Fruit of Afflictions you will say You were mistaken in the Tree Thus for the Confirmation by Scripture 2. We come to shew the Grounds and Reasons of the Proposition Why no man infallibly knows what is good for man in this life So there is 1. Some Reason of it in Respect of God 2. Some reasons of it in respect of Man 1. The Reason of it in Respect of God is this Because God hath hid this knowledge from man and therefore no man knoweth what is good for man in this life And if any ask For what reason God hath hid this knowledg from man I Answer 1. God hath done it to maintain his own Prerogative It onely belongs to him who made the creature to know what is good for the creature It belongs only to him who hath given life to man to know what is good for a man in this life He knows man best and knows best what is good for man whether Riches or Poverty Quietness or Trouble Health or Sickness Life or Death This knowledg is too high and excellent for man It is not for man to know this which God hath put in his own Power 2. God doth it to keep man in a state of Dependance on him and Submission to him That man may know at whose finding he is and at whose disposing viz. of that God who onely knows what is good for man God doth it to take the creature off from being his own Carver He will have man look to Him and seek to Him for what is good for him God hath hid this knowledge from man that man may pray both for the good things and against the evills of this life with submission to the will of God Lord I know not what is good or what is evill for me in this life and therefore I leave my self to thee and in those things submit my self to thee Thou shalt Dispose of me Thou shalt Carve for me Thou shalt Guide me by thy Counsel who onely knowest what is good or evill for me in this life Thou shalt chuse my condition for me 3. God hides this knowledge from man to magnify and make the Glory of his Wisdom and Power known in working contrary to the apprehensions hopes and expectations of man So the Wisdom and Power of God shewes it self 1. In a way of Justice turning good into evill 2. In a way of Mercy turning evill into good 1. He shewes his Wisdom and Power in a way of Justice causing what was apprehended by men as good for them to become evil to them contrary to their hopes and expectations Thus the Lord causeth some mens Tables to become their Snare and what they thought to have bin for their welfare to be their Trap. Thus
know what is good for him A man may know Riches are good when yet they may not be a convenient good for him Agur's Prayer Prov. 30. 8. was Give me neither Poverty nor Riches feed me with food Convenient Though he saw Riches were in themselves good yet he question'd whether they were a Convenient good for him and thereupon desires a middle Estate between Poverty and Riches So that when we tell you No man knowes what is good for man in this life it is to be understood of a Convenient good 4. Distinction There is good in Respect 1. Of our Apprehensions and Imaginations 2. Of Gods Intention 1. There is good in respect of our apprehensions So men have their several apprehensions of what is good and what is evil One man apprehends Honour good for him and Riches good for him And apprehends Disgrace evil and Poverty evil A man apprehends Health good and Sickness evil for him 2. There is good in Gods Intention And so the Proposition is to be understood of the latter not of the former Though a man may know what is good for himself in his own apprehension yet he knows not what is good for him in Gods Intention What a man apprehends to be good to him may be intended for evil and what he apprehends as evil may be intended to him for good Eccles 9. 1. No man knowes Love or Hatred by any thing that is before him The meaning is That no man from outward blessings which are good in our apprehension can conclude that God loves him and intends good to him And no man from outward Afflictions which are evil in a mans apprehension can conclude hatred or that He intends evil to him So that though a man knoweth what is good and evil for him in his own Apprehension yet he knoweth not what is good or evil in God's Intention 5. Distinction There is Good that is good in a General Notion and Consideration And Good that is good in relation to particular Cases and to particular Times So the Proposition is to be understood of the latter not of the former This is granted that a man may know what is good and what is evil for him in General but a man knoweth not what is good for him in such a particular Case and at such a particular Time As Hushai said of Achitophel's Counsell It is not good at this time Why so what a man looks upon as good for him may not be good for him at such a time Riches that seem to be Good for a man yet at some times may be Evil to a man As in Plundring times it was a mans unhappinesse either to be or to be thought Rich. Thus for the first thing Of what Good this is to be understood 2. The second thing to be Enquired after is Of what Men this is to be understood So the Question is Whether the Proposition concludes all men without Exception under this ignorance and excludes all from the knowledge of what is good for them in this Life So the Question is concerning Godly men that are sanctified and enlightned by the Spirit of God Whether are they as Ignorant in this particular as others Answ There is a great difference to be put between the Spiritual and the Natural man in respect of their knowledge of what is good or evil for a man in this Life A Godly man not only knows what is good for a man in relation to the Life to come as Pardon of Sin an Interest in Christ c. but also he knows more than others do what is good for a man in this Life He knows that many things are good for a man that are apprehended to be evil and he knows there are many things evil for a man that are look'd on as good Thus David said It was good for him that he had been afflicted when others looked upon Afflictions as evil he looked on them as good for him Agur prayed against Riches why he knew they were evil for him when others look upon abundance as good So consider a Godly man hath Four things to help him in the knowledg of this that others have not 1. He hath the Spirit of God to instruct and teach him what is good and evil for a man in this life When others are only led by Sense Opinion the Godly man is taught and led by the Spirit of God 2. He hath the Sanctuary to go into where he may learn what is Good and Evil for a man in this Life There David tells you that he attain'd to this knowledg and till he went into the Sanctuary he was ignorant of it Psal 73. 17. till I went into the Sanctuary Till then he thought it was ill for good men that they were afflicted and that it was good for wicked men that they were in prosperity But when he came into the Sanctuary he was informed otherwise 3. The Godly man hath convincing Experience by which he comes to know what is good and evil for a man in this life So that by experience he knows that to be good for him that others think evil Psal 119. 71. It is good for me that I have been Afflicted David speaks it from experience 4. The Godly man hath the Promise to help him too Rom. 8. 28. All things work together for good to them that Love God So that being such as Love God they know all shall be for Good to them be it what it will Though it seem Evil yet it shall work for Good These things Godly men have above others whereby they are enabled above others to know what is Good for them this in Life And yet for all this the Proposition includes them too as well as others It is true Solomon it is probable means it chiefly of the Natural and Unregenerate man yet it takes in the Godly man too as one that knows not what is Good for a man in this Life And that especially in two Cases 1. A Godly man knows not what is good for a man in all things 2. He knows not what is good for a man at all times 1. A Godly man knows not what is good for a man in all things In this as the Apostle speaks they know but in part And it appears thus that they have been denyed in their Requests Praying for that that God saw not Good for them Thus Abraham for Ishmael Thus Moses requested to have gone into the Land of Canaan And Gods denying them these Requests must be interpreted Gods not seeing that particular thing Good for them and that indeed it was not good for them The Will of God being the highest Rule of Goodness So we find some of the Servants of God have been blinded with passion in some of their requests as Elijah and Jonah and God did not see it good to grant them what they desired They Asked they knew not what 2. A Godly man may not know what is good for him at all
the Lord lets some men lay up Riches for their hurt and suffers them to get Honour to their shame There is an expression in Mal. 2. 2. I will curse your Blessings God can make seeming blessings to become Curses And in this his Wisdom and Power are Gloriously seen God can let a man think he hath a good thing in his hand and turn it into an evill And hence it is some have cursed their Riches and Honour and worldly Greatness as Charles the fift and Philip the Second of Spain did 2. He shewes his Wisdom and Power in a way of Mercy in turning seeming evills into good That when a man thinks it to be an evill God turns it to good contrary to a mans apprehension hope and expectation Thus as he can turn the Rod into a Serpent so he can turn the Serpent into a Rod He can bring good out of evill and light out of darknesse As he can turn a seeming blessing into a curse so he can turn a seeming curse into a blessing When Balack would have cursed Israel Moses tells them Deut. 23. 5. God turned it into a Blessing Josephs brethren intended evil against him but God turned it into good Gen. 50. 20. And upon this account it is that God hides the knowledg of what is good for a man in this life from man that he may have a freedom and liberty of declaring his Wisdom and Power when he please both in turning evill into good and good into evill contrary to mans apprehensions hopes and expectations 4. God hath hid this knowledg from man to keep man humble in the midst of his greatest outward enjoyments That the great man may not glory in his greatness and that the rich man may not glory in his riches since he knows not whether they are good for him When a man considers this with himself I have Honour but I know not whether it be for my good I have Riches but I know not whether it be for my good how humble should the consideration of this make a man in the midst of these enjoyments When he considers Honour hath been many a mans Snare Riches and outward prosperity have been many a mans Trap and I know not but they may be so to me how humble should this keep a man when he knoweth not whether they are for his good God doth it to keep man from boasting of his enjoyments Prov. 27. 1. Boast not thy self of to Morrow saith Solomon for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth So men must not boast of their Wealth or Honour since they know not what they may bring forth Thus a man should reason with himself Why should I be proud of those things which have proved evill to some and I know not but they may be so to me 5. God hath hid this knowledge from man To make man patient in affliction and to make him hope in the worst condition when a man considers thus with himself Alas I know not what is good for me in this life For ought I know these afflictions are good for me and what reason have I then to be impatient under them why should I fret and murmur at these dispensations Do I know what these Crosses and Afflictions may bring forth Do I know but that good may lie in the womb of them The Tree may seem bitter yet the Fruit may be Sweet The Rose is Sweet yet the Tree that bears it is Thorny I know not what Grapes may grow upon these Thorns and what Figs upon these Thistles When Shimei cursed David what said David 2 Sam. 16. 12. It may be the Lord will do me good for this God not onely knows how to do his people good but how to do them good by seeming evills It is good for me saith David that I have been Afflicted Psal 119. 6. God hath hid this knowledge from man To keep men from judging and censuring one another To keep the Rich from despising the poor and to keep the poor from envying the Rich. If a man knew that Riches were good for a man in this life and that Poverty were evill for a man then would Rich men look upon themselves as the onely blessed men and judge of the poor as the only miserable men So that as the Apostle saith of eating Rom. 14. 3. Let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth and let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not So will the Lord have it to be among men in this case He will not have the Rich and Great Ones of the world to despise the poor neither will he have the poor and such as are in a low condition to envy the Rich. And to prevent this the Lord hath hid this knowledg from man of what is good or evill for him in this life Thou o Rich man knowest not but that thy riches may be for thy hurt Why shouldst thou then despise the poor And what knowest thou O poor man but thy poverty may be for thy good and why then shouldst thou envy the Rich This is the disease to which Rich and Poor are subject The Rich are apt to despise the poor Jam. 2. 6. And the poor are apt to envy the Rich Psal 37. 1. And the Lord for the curing of this disease in both hath hid this knowledge from man 7. God hath hid this knowledg from man To let man see that the things of this life are not the things viz. the only things and the main things that a man should look after He doth it to let man know that outward evils are not evils to be feared for they may be for good And that outward good things are not the onely good things to be sought after for they may be for a mans hurt And so the reason why God hides this knowledg from man of knowing what is good or evill for man in this life is That he may especially seek after those things that are good and fly from those evils that have relation to another life Those things that we call good viz. things of this life are but things changeably good they are things may become evil to a man and therefore not the only good things to be sought after And those things that we call evil are but changeably evil such evils as may be for good and therefore not the only evils to be fled from There are good things that are unchangeably good which are good for a man in relation to another life and these are the things mainly to be sought after And there are evils that are unchangeably evil which are evil for a man in relation to another life and those are the evils that are most to be feared and fled from 8. God hath hid this knowledg from man To keep man in a preparation for all conditions That since he knows not what is good for man in this life he may be prepared for what God seeth good for him that he may
be fitted for all the dispensations and purposes of God concerning him Solomon sayeth Prov. 27. 1. Thou knowest not what a day may bring forth And why hath God hidden that knowledg from man but that a man may be prepared for what ever a day shall bring forth whether good or evil mercies or miseries life or death Solomon in Eccles 7. 14. speaking of prosperity and adversity saith God hath set them the one over against the other that Man may find out nothing after him There is Chequer-work in the Dispensations of God toward man in this life There is Black and White There are Fair and Foul Sunshine and Rainy days Intermingled There is Prosperity and Adversity changes of Conditions And mark God hath set the one over against the other there is Adversity opposite to Prosperity there is a Vally over against a Hill And see for what end That Man may find out nothing after him What is the meaning of that why this That man should not know what shall come afterwards or what shall come next whether Prosperity or Adversity that so he may be prepared for both When God hath set a man upon a Mountain of Prosperity he cannot assure himself he shall alwayes stand there for there is the Valley of Adversity set over against that Mountain and he knoweth not how soon he may be in it And so since he knows not what may be next God will have him keep himself in a preparation for all conditions Phil. 4. 11. The Apostle saith I have learned to be full and to be hungry to abound and to want As if he should say I am prepared for what God sees good for me if he see it good for me to be in a low condition to be hungry and to want I am prepared for it I am prepared for all conditions And this is one reason why God hath hid this Knowledg from man that man may be prepared for all Conditions There is an expression in Eccles 8. 7. Man knoweth not what shall be And what is the reason that man knows not what shall be why this That man may be prepared for what ever shall be 9. God hath hid this knowledg from man To shew man the vanity of his thoughts and to let man see how his thoughts differ from the thoughts of God As the Lord saith in another case Esa. 55. 8. My Thoughts are not as your thoughts So the Lord will have men know that his thoughts and mans thoughts are not the same in respect of what is good or evill for a man in this life God doth it to shew man his thoughts and the vanity of them Man thinks that Riches and Honour are good for him in this life and God lets him see how he is mistaken in his thoughts by their becoming evil to him And man thinks Afflictions are evil for him in this life and God lets man see how he is mistaken in his thoughts by turning them to good Thus God shews man the mistake and vanity of his thoughts in respect of what is good or evil for man in this life And so the Lord discovers to man the vanity of his thoughts in this particular in three things 1. In thinking those happy that enjoy the good things of this life when alas poor man knoweth not but these things are evil for him Thus the Lord in turning mens Tables into Snares shewes His Thoughts are not as man 's We read of some Mal. 3. 15. that call'd the Proud Happy They thought wicked men were the happiest men But God tells them he would have a time to shew them the vanity of their thoughts v. last Then shall ye return and discern between the Righteous and the Wicked As if he should say You shall see My Thoughts were not as your thoughts Men are ready to think the Rich man the happy man and the Great man the happy man And thus he discovers to man the vanity of his thoughts and to let them know that they know not the thoughts of the Lord. As the expression is Micah 4. 12. But they know not the Thoughts of the Lord. 2. In his thinking them the only miserable men that are afflicted it is usual with men to do so And God by hiding from man what is good for man in this life discovers to man the vanity of those thoughts Thus by making afflictions good for a man they come to see they were mistaken in their thoughts and find that Gods thoughts were not as their thoughts God in this gives man to see his folly in giving a judgment of those things he knows not And to let man see that while he professeth himself wise he becomes a fool Rom. 1. 22 That he is mistaken about the intentions of God since what he apprehended evil was by God intended for good God by this lets men see how much their apprehensions and His intentions differ How hath the Lord brought men to acknowledg their folly in this particular Thus he that was the Penman of Psal 73. tells you at vers 22. So foolish was I and Ignorant 3. In his judging of the intentions of Gods heart by the dispensations and operations of His hand And for this reason God hath hid this knowledge from man to shew man the vanity of his thoughts and his judgings in that particular Though Gods heart and hand go together yet not alwayes so as men imagine Men think where there is a loving heart there should be a blessing hand and where there is an afflicting hand there should be an hating heart God carryeth things in a mystery But God will give man to know he understands not that mystery Man is ready to think God intendeth good to that man to whom he dispenseth good things I mean things temporally good and that he intendeth evil to that man to whom he dispenseth things temporally Evil. Now the Lord by hiding this knowledg from man will let man see how he is mistaken in these thoughts and will let him know that with a loving heart there may go an afflicting hand and with an hating heart an hand that is seemingly a blessing hand That there may be good in his intention when there may be seeming evil in his Dispensation When God Afflicts and Chastiseth and Corrects Who would think there were good in His Intention and yet Heb. 12. 10. He chasteneth us for our profit Rev. 3. 19. As many as I love I Rebuke and Chasten Remember that Eccles 9. 1. No man knowes love or hatred by what is before him he knoweth not the Intentions of God by his Dispensations he knoweth not Gods Heart by Gods Hand And thus for the Ground in General Why God hath hid the Knowledg of what is Good or Evil for a man in this life CHAP. III. I Now come to give you the Particular Reasons why no man knoweth what is good for a man in this life So the Ground of it is this Reason Mans inability to know what
is good for a man in this life So consider Man is utterly unable to make a judgement of Conditions and infallibly to say what is good or evil for a man in this life The ignorance of man is great in this particular and I shall shew you it to be such that it is not possible for a man as man to give a judgement of what is good for a man in this life And that in these Particulars I. A man knoweth not what the spirits and dispositions of men are and therefore he cannot know what is a fit and convenient good for them in this life We know not what will fit a mans spirit and disposition unless we know his spirit and disposition He knoweth not the foot and therefore knoweth not what shooe will fit him No man saith the Apostle knows the things of a man and so he knowes not the spirits and dispositions of men Nay let me tell you more Man knoweth not his own spirit and disposition and how a condition will suit with it Christ told his Disciples Luk. 9. 55. They knew not of what spirit they were And then man knoweth not what is a fit and convenient good for himself It is with men in this case as with some that drink Wine who find it pleasant but know not the strength of it nor the strength of their own heads to bear it and so come to be distemper'd by it before they are aware Every man thinks prosperity good for him when as all men can no more bear a prosperous condition then all heads can bear Wine or strong Drink Man knowes not how a condition will suit with his disposition till they meet We have a Famous Instance in Hazael 2 King 8. 13. when he heard what was prophesied of him he thought the doing of such things did better suit with the nature of a Dog then of a Man and therefore answers Is thy Servant a Dog that he should do so But what is the Prophets reply The Lord hath shewed me that thou shalt be King over Syria q. d. The change of thy condition will presently discover that disposition to be in thee that now thou wilt not believe is in thee All men know not what Lyons and Wolves lie sleeping in their bosoms till they are awakened Like the Snake in the Snow that doth not stir and hisse till it feel the warmth of the fire of prosperity Every man is apt to think his head can bear the Wine of Prosperity till he drink of it As the Sons of Zebedee answered Christ when he asked them Can ye Drink of the Cup that I must Drink of and be Baptised with the Baptism I must be Baptised with and they answered We are able So ask a man whether he be fit and able to bear a prosperous condition whether he be fit for Honour and Riches why he is ready to answer that he is able when alas he knoweth not his own spirit and disposition And therefore through a suspition of this Agur prayed Prov. 30. 8. That God would give him neither Poverty nor Riches And why he prayed against riches he gives the reason lest I be full and forget Thee Why he did not know under what Temptations Riches might bring him They might be such strong drink that his head would not bear And in this he shew'd he was Ignorant of his own spirit it and disposition he was afraid that Riches would not suit with it II. Man is ignorant of this how Men will manage their conditions and thereupon is unable to give and make a Judgement of them Man knoweth not how a man will use and improve his condition Things prove good or evil to men according to their management of them There is an Art of managing conditions which most men are ignorant of a condition that might be for a mans good through the ill-managing of it becomes evil It is the saying of one that Every thing hath two handles And so it is in respect of Conditions they have two handles And here is the thing to take Prosperity and Adversity to take every condition by the right handle Now in this the Ignorance of man is seen In his taking of things by the wrong handle and so taking of conditions by wrong handles they become evil whereas if they would take them by the right handle that condition might be for good to them that otherwise is not So man knoweth not by what handle men will tak hold of Conditions Solomon hath an expression Eccles 8. 6. To every purpose there is time and judgment therefore the misery of man is great on him The meaning is this That God having put handles to things and men not laying hold on the right handle his not knowing how to do things and when to do things makes the miseries of man great upon him So it is in respect of conditions seeming mercies become miseries because men know not how to use them and seeming miseries would become mercies if men did but know how to use them It is in this case with us as with children who if you give them a knife know not to make any other use of it then to cut and wound themselves and so most men know not how to make any other use of their conditions then to hurt themselves And hence it is that no man knowes what is good for man in this life what condition is good for him whether a prosperous or an adverse condition because he knowes not how he will manage his condition The wrong Use man makes of Conditions makes it impossible to man to give a judgment of conditions And through this ignorance it comes to passe that things prove to be evil for a man that might have been for good Upon this account many a mans Table becomes his Snare and what might have been for his Welfare becomes his Trap. Thus by his abusing things he makes Blessings become Curses and so those things become Evil that might have been for Good Thus it is in respect of Prosperity Adversity 1. For Prosperity How do many abuse it to the feeding of their lusts whereby that becomes evil to them that might have been for good and so by their ill managing of a condition make that condition to become evil to them that might have bin for good Why thus they draw evil out of good as when a Spider draws Poyson out of a Flower it is not from the Flower but the Nature of the Spider that turns it into Poyson 2. For Adversity Why there are many that do want the Art of making good out of evil and so that becomes evill to them that through their wise managing of it might have been for good Men have learned the Art of making Wind and Water serviceable to them We have a Saying of making a vertue of Necessity and so there is an Art to make good out of evil but man knowes it not That man will never be a good Bowler that knoweth
not how to set the Byasse of his Bowle Conditions have their Byasses and here is the Art and Skill to set the Byasse of a Condition right III. Man knoweth not to what Dangers Evils and Temptations mens conditions may Expose them and therefore they are not able to give a judgment of conditions and to say what is good for a man in this life We may look upon those things as good for a man which may expose him to such temptations and dangers that may be for his hurt and ruine Remember there are no outward or worldly good things but do expose men to many Evils Dangers and Temptations and so become evil to a man in this life Thus we find Honour Riches outward Prosperity do expose a man to Envy As one saith of Naboth It had been better for him he had not had a Vineyard it cost him his life These things have cost a man his sweetest things viz. his Liberty and Life How many men had lived longer had they not had such and such things wherein they seemed to excel and to be more happy then other men And so the Historian saith of the Romane Emperours That they got nothing by their Honour nisi ut citius interficerentur but to be kill'd the sooner We read of Esius Proculus that he was Slain by Caligula for being the handsomest Man in Rome Beauty and Handsomness was for his hurt And Seneca was condemned for being too Eloquent though at the Intercession of one of the Emperour's Lemans his life was spared And hence it is a man is not able to give a judgment of things because he knows not what their issue may be and what dangers they may bring a man under because experience shews that it had been good for some men to have bin without those things that in the eyes of some seemed to be good for them That as our Saviour said of Judas It had bin good for that man if he had not bin born So we may say of some it had been good for them if they never had had Honour Riches Beauty and other things that most men look upon as good for a man in this life IV. Man knoweth not what Snares Satan hath laid in a Condition to catch and entrap a man in and therefore is not able to give or make a judgment of outward conditions Through his devices that condition may become evil that seemed to be for good Satan is a subtil Adversary and he seeks to get an advantage against us by the conditions we are in He endeavours to make every condition a Snare and a Trap to us He strives to make Temptations out of our Conditions He knows how to make use of our Conditions to advantage himself and to hurt us And man knows not what Snares Satan may lay for a man in a condition and what advantage he may make of it to hurt a man and therefore no certain Judgment can be made of it Satan is a careful and diligent Observer as of our Constitutions so of our Conditions and will be sure to suit his Temptations to them He hath his Temptations for all Conditions whether High or Low whether Prosperous or Adverse 1. If a man be in a Prosperous Condition why there are Evils he Tempts a man to in that Estate And those both Moral Spiritual I. Moral So consider these 1. Pride and High-mindedness Prosperity inclines a man to it and here Satan sayles with Wind and Tide 1 Tim. 6. 17. Charge them that be Rich in this world that they be not High-minded 2. Boasting and Glorying in their Prosperity with a Contemning of those whose Condition is meaner Jerem. 9. 23. Let not the Rich man Glory in his Riches 3. Injustice and Oppression Prov. 22. 7. The Rich Man Ruleth over the Poor Or as it may be read Domineereth 4. Luxury and Profuseness and Wantonness As the Sodomites And Dives that fared Deliciously every day II. Spiritual Evils there are to which a Prosperous Condition Inclines a man and to which Satan will be ready to Tempt a man and these are Three 1. Forgetting God and forgetting Duty And upon this Account it was Agur prayed against Riches Prov. 30. 9. Lest I be full and forget Thee 2. Creature-Confidence We find the Scripture frequent in giving Cautions concerning that 1 Tim. 6. 17. That men should not trust in uncertain Riches 3. Security We read of the Rich man in the Gospel Luke 12 19. who bid his Soul take its ease it had goods laid up for many years Why thus you see a Prosperous Condition hath its Temptations and all these ways Satan is ready to get an advantage of a man that is in that condition Now who can give a Judgement of a mans Condition when it is Prosperous when he knoweth not but it may cast him into some of these Evills 2. If a man be in an Adverse Condition why that hath its Temptations too When a mans Condition is low then Satan Tempts him to Murmuring Discontent Impatiency Envy use of Unlawful means And upon this Account Agur prayed against Poverty Prov. 30. Lest I be Poor and Steal He saw that condition had its Temptations Why thus you see every Condition hath its Temptations and How shall man be able to make a Judgment of Conditions when he knows not what Temptations he may fall under by reason of his Condition when we know not but Satan through his Wiles and Devices may make a condition evil for a man that else might have been for his good how he may make that Condition his Snare that might have been for his Welfare V. Man cannot make a Judgment of what is good or evil for a man in this life because he knoweth not what the wheel is that is within the Wheel We read Ezek. 1. Of the wheel in the wheel Consider there is the outward wheel of Dispensation that is visible to us and there is a secret wheel of Providence within that wheel So that when we look upon the outward wheel of Prosperity or Adversity we know not what Wheel moves within those wheels We see how the outward wheel moves but we know not what the motions are of the Wheel within Its motions may be cross to the wheel without 1. Consider how it is in respect of Prosperity There is an outward wheel that is visible and seems to move to a mans Honour Exaltation and Advancement in the world and yet we know not what cross motions the secret wheel of Providence may have to the External wheel of Dispensation While the outward wheel seems to move to a mans Good and Honour and Advantage the inward wheel for ought we know may be moving to a mans Hurt and Ruine According to the saying of the Poet Tolluntur in altum Vt lapsu graviore ruant Their lifting up may tend to their casting down While the outward wheel may seem to raise them and mount them The wheel within may move to the undoing
and Destruction of them We have a notable Instance of this in Haman There was an outward wheel moving to his Raising and Advancement to the setting of him High in the favour of his Prince and who that had lookt upon that would not have thought this had been for Hamans good But see there was a Wheel within the wheel a Cross-wheel that was then moving to Hamans downfall and Hamans ruine II. For Adversity why you shall find sometimes the outward Wheel seemingly moving to a mans Hurt and Ruine and Disadvantage when yet we know not the motions of the Wheel that are within the wheel There may be within that wheel a Wheel of Providence moving to a mans good and advantage Thus it was in the case of Joseph when he was cast into a Pit when he was sold into Egypt when he was cast into Prison by his Master Who would have thought but that this outward wheel of Dispensation had moved to Joseph's ruine and yet at the same time there was a Wheel within this wheel moving to the Advancement of Joseph and to the making him Ruler over all the Land of Egypt So in the case of Job When he was stript of all to a Shoo-latchet when he was bereaved of his Goods Cattel Children Health Who would have thought but this wheel of Dispensation had moved to the Ruine and utter undoing of Job And yet at the same time there was a wheel moving within this wheel to his good and advantage as you may read in his Story So the Apostle tells us Jam. 5. 11. You have heard of the Patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord. God's end in all was Jobs good though the outward Wheel of Dispensation spake it not So this is one reason why a man knoweth not what is good or evil for a man in this life because no man knows the motions of the Wheel of secret Providence within the wheel of outward Dispensation We know not what is the end of the Lord in a mans Prosperity or Adversity our sight is not clear and peircing enough to discern the wheel within and what Its motions are When we see a man Great and Rich and Honourable we cannot say He is an happy man and that it is good for him to be such because we know not the end of the Lord. And so when we see a man poor and low and in an afflicted condition we cannot say That man is miserable or that it is evil for him because in this Dispensation we know not the end of the Lord we know not how the wheel within moves Reas 6. Man knoweth not what is good or evil for a man in this life because of that sudden and unexpected changeableness that there is in all Conditions Man's ignorance of this disables him to make a judgment of outward Conditions If a man could make the things of this life certain why then he might make a judgment of them but the comfort in them and the enjoyment of them being uncertain Who can make a true and perfect judgment of them The things themselves are uncertain and the good in them changeable and Who is the man then that can say That things that are so full of uncertainty and so changeable are good for a man in this life Solomon in Eccles 7. 14. speaking of Conditions saith God hath set Prosperity and Adversity one over against the other as a Vally over against a Mountain So that when a man lookes upon himself as set upon the Mountain of Prosperity he seeth a Valley of Adversity over against him why he seeth a change of his condition before him and though he stand at present upon the Mountain of Prosperity yet he sees below him a Valley of Adversity which he knoweth not how soon he may descend into And who can say Prosperity is good for him when he seeth Adversity over against him So consider upon this account it is impssioble that a man should make a perfect judgment of Conditions Since 1. Conditions are Changeable 2. The Good and Comfort in a Condition is Changeable 1. The Condition is changeable An Honourable Rich Prosperous Condition is changeable and then what is man the better for being in such a condition Psal 49. 20. Man being in Honour continueth not And yet see Men had other thoughts vers 11. Their inward thoughts was that their houses should continue for ever They thought It was good for a man to have Houses and Possessions because they looked upon these things as constant and enduring and lasting They thought their Inheritances lasting and that they should leave them to those that would continue their memory for ever that is to their Children which are but the Parents multiplied and continued Which as one saith is but Nodosa Aeternitas a knotty Eternity as when one thread is spun and broken then another thread is knit to it Thus men dream of a continued Succession But what saith the Psalmist This their way is their folly for man being in honour continueth not Consider there is a changeableness in all outward conditions there may be a sudden turn of Providence Job the Richest man in the East lost all as it were in an instant All the wit and care and industry and providence of man cannot hinder the Providence of God from making conditions changable And considering this Who can say This or that condition is good or evil for a man when he knoweth not how that condition may change What if a prosperous condition should change why then it had been better a man had not known it It making a man but more miserable to have been happy and then to be miserable 2. Though the Condition it self should continue yet the comfort in the condition is changeable why the things of a condition that seems good and comfortable and desirable are changeable The things of such a condition may become a Cross and Burden and Vexation such a changeableness there is in the comforts of a condition that seemeth good for a man Augustus had three Daughters and all of them very lew'd and he was used to call them his Tria Carcinωmata his three Ulcers or Botches And was used to say Vtinam aut caelebs vixissem aut orbus periissem I would I had lived unmarried or died without Children Life and Light are two of the sweetest things and yet a man may out-live the comfort of them they may prove a burden to a man as to Job Job 3. 20 Why is life given to the Afflicted and light to the bitter in Soul Let me tell you Those things that are looked on as the greatest earthly comforts may become a mans Burthens and Afflictions Reas 7. Man cannot make a perfect judgment of what is good for him and so on the contrary what is evil for him in this life because there are but few that have the right Art and way of judging of Conditions and so are apt to call good evil and
evil good and so are disabled from knowing what is good for a man in this life I shall name some of those ways by which most judge of the good or evil of a Condition 1. Opinion 2. Sense 3. Affection I. Most judge of Conditions by Opinion they take things to be as they account them It is Opinion that makes things to be good and evil to some that if rightly considered are not so Thus Conditions are looked upon as good or evil according as they are in our Opinion It was the saying of Seneca Levis est Dolor si nil Opinio adjecerit The misery would be little if our Opinion did not adde to it Opinion is a leight judgment of things by which things are good in the imagination but never arrive at the understanding to be made Reason It is an ill Guide and therefore some call it the Guide of Fools when Reason is the Guide of the Wise Most men judg of Conditions by Opinion and so it is impossible they should make a right Judgment of Conditions of what is good or evil for a man in this life And therefore we find the Scripture setting it self to oppose and cross the Opinions of Men in relation to what is good and evil for a man in this life Jam. 5. 1. Howl ye Rich Men c. Now it is the Opinion of most that Rich men have cause to Rejoyce Prov. 15. 16. Better is a little with the Fear of the Lord then great Treasures with Trouble This crosseth the general Opinion of men Psal 37. 16. A little that a Righteous man hath is better then the Riches of many Wicked Now the Opinion of the World is That much is alwayes better then little One place more Eccles 7. 2 3. Vers 2. It is better to go to the House of Mourning then to go to the house of Feasting But most men think not so Vers 3. Sorrow is better then laughter But this crosseth the general Opinion of men II. Another way by which men Judg of the Good or Evil of Conditions is by Sense They judg of the good evil of things according as they are pleasing or displeasing to their Senses They judg of Conditions as many do of Meats who judg of them by the taste and so take them to be Wholsome that are Toothsome And so on the contrary those meats Unwholsome that are Unpleasant And therefore the Apostle tells those Heb. 12. 11. how they were mistaken about their Condition which was then a Suffering Condition No Affliction saith he for the present seemeth Joyous but Grievous Why Sense at the present can feel no good in it But afterwards it bringeth forth the quiet Fruit of Righteousness This way of judging deceived Eve She saw the Fruit was desirable it looked fair to the Eye Thus many are deceived about their Conditions They are like the Book St. John eatt As Hony in the Mouth but in the Belly as bitter as Gall. Thus men look upon Conditions whether they are Hony in the Mouth they look no further whether they may not prove Gall in the Belly Why thus most judg of Conditions by Sense and while they judg so it is impossible for them to know what is good or evil for them in this life III. Some make a judgment of Conditions by their sinfully-sensual Affections and so account that good for them in this life that suits with their Lusts and Inordinate Desires Thus men come to be beguiled with the appearance of Good instead of Real Good Most men take the word of their Lusts and corrupt and sinful Desires concerning what is good for them As Sampson said Give her me for she pleaseth me well Since the Fall man rather consults with his own Corrupt desires then any thing else and makes them his Oracle at which he enquires about the good and evil of things and while they seek to that Oracle it must needs follow that Good must be rejected under the Notion of Evil and evil lookt upon as desirable under the Notion of good Affections sensually-sinful are wofully blinded in judging of Conditions CHAP. IV. HAving Explained and Confirmed the Point I come now to Resolve some Questions that may be put in Relation to the Truth delivered 1. Question Whether it be lawful to Pray against Afflictions Since no man knoweth what is good for a man in this life and so in praying against them we may Pray against and Deprecate that that for ought we know may be for out Good 2. Quest. Whether it be lawful to Pray for outward and worldly good things as Riches c. Since we know not but we may pray for what is evil for us 3. Quest. Whether our being ignorant of what is good for us in this life doth not warrant us to undertake things and adventure on them hand over head or at hap-hazard as we say or at adventure without any Circumspection Consideration Prudential Foresight or Providential Care as in Marriage c. Why some may say I know not what is good for me in this life and therefore Let it happen how it will So the Question is Whether this Truth do not deny and destroy all Care of Providence I shall Answer to these in order 1. Quest. Whether according to the Truth delivered it be lawful for a man to Pray against Afflictions Since he knoweth not but that he may Pray against his own good Since some by Experience have found It was good for them that they were Afflicted Answ Some have bin of this Opinion that It is unlawful to Pray against Afflictions and that it was not the Errour of Tertullian to say Afflictions were to be sought for and desired and said That men ought to be so far from praying against them that they ought to pray for them and desire them But this I look upon as one of his Errours I shall give an Answer to the Question 1. General 2. Particular I. General So I Answer That notwithstanding it so falls out that Afflictions are good for a man yet they may be lawfully prayed against And this Truth I shall clear up to you by four things 1. Afflictions are in their own Nature Fruits and Effects of Sin and such as Nature abhors such are Sickness Poverty all sorts of Losses and Crosses they were brought in by Sin The Apostle saith Rom. 5. 12. Sin entred into the world and Death by Sin Death is there put for All Miseries As Life in Scripture is put for all Good so Death is the Topick for all Miseries being called the King of Fears and so the King of Evils being the King of whatsoever is fearful to man and what Nature abhoreth As Death so all Evils as Death's attendants came into the world by Sin Sin was the Mother and Afflictions of all sorts are the Daughters So then looking upon them under this Notion as the Effects of Sin they may be prayed against When Sin came into the world these Evils
Uncleanness the Instruments of Revenge This is not from themselves but mans making use of them for such ends for which they were not Ordained So when the Gospel calls upon us to Renounce the World The meaning is not That we should cast the things of the World out of our Possession but out of our Affection To be Rich is not Inconsistent with Religion it is mans abusing of Riches c. that makes them Evil to us 5. The things of this life may be helps to Christians to further them in doing good though they be seeming hindrances yet by a wise Improvement they may become great Advantages for the performing of Works both of Piety and Charity If a man have but the Art of placing these things aright They may help a man toward Heaven As we see it is with a Trunk of Mony Let a man put it upon his Head it boweth him down But let him put it under his Feet it lifteth him up 'T is the Apostle's Command in 1 Tim. 6. 18. to those that are Rich that they be Rich in Good Works Letting them know That they have an opportunity put into their hands of doing good with their Wealth See what our Saviour saith Luke 16. 9. Make you Friends of the Vnrighteous Mammon But why doth our Saviour call it The unrighteous Mammon Not because Riches are so in themselves but because of mens either Evil getting or using of them q. d. Things that many men abuse and so make them the Riches of Iniquity may be so imployed as to be helps to further good And therefore it was a hard saying and Censure of a Father although I confess it is sometimes true Omnis Dives aut iniquus aut iniqui Haeres Every Rich man is either an Oppressor or the Son of an Oppressor 6. Wealth and Riches and the Things of this Life are the things that come within a Promise It is said of him that feareth the Lord Psal 112. That Wealth and Riches shall be in his House i. e. when God seeth it good for him For all Temporal Promises must be understood with an Exception The Rule is this concerning such Promises That they do not Intimate what ever shall be but what ever befalleth a Godly man shall be a Blessing The Fruit of a Promise shall not be the Fruit of a loser Providence but to a Godly man they are the Fruits of a Promise and therefore may be prayed for Thus for the Answer in General II. The Particular Answer is this Though we said and have shewed that it is lawful to pray for outward things yet it must have its Rules and Limitations and that upon this Ground That we know not what is good for a man in this life Concerning praying for outward things we must know this they must not be prayed for 1. Absolutely 2. Ultimately 1. Absolutely In praying for outward things we must not pray for them but with a Submission to the Will of God In praying for them we must take need of making our wills a Law to God's For as I shewed you before That the Evils of this life are not Evils to be absolutely prayed against so neither are the things of this life absolutely to be prayed for Then it is Right if when you are begging of them you can find in your heart to be without them if God will have if so As for those Good things that relate to another Life they are to be absolutely prayed for but for the things of this life we are not to do so we must not so desire them as not content to be denyed This was Rachels sin in her desire of children Give me Children or else I dye She would have no Nay but she must have children and she payed dear for it for she died in Child-bearing she would die if she had not children and she died in bringing forth a child whom she called Benoni Thus Israel would have no Nay but they must have a King And thus the hearts of many are so set upon the things of this life that they cannot brook a denial of them and think God doth not love them if He do not grant those Requests they make for them 2. In praying for outward things as you may not pray for them Absolutely so you are not to pray and seek for them Ultimately but to make them Subordinate to Gods Glory It is lawful to pray for Health and Wealth and the good things of this Life but it is to be done with a respect to the Glory of God that we may be enabled the better to Serve and Honour Him with them and not that our sensual desires and sinful lusts may be satisfied Jam. 4. 3. The Apostle telleth us of some that did Ask but he telleth us that their End was not right for they did ask that they might consume it upon their Lusts This asking is Evil and Unlawful How many are there that would have God bestow that upon them that they would bestow upon their Lusts as Health and long Life that they may live the more Pleasantly Wealth that they may fare Deliciously every day Great Estates that they may Raise Themselves and Families that they may be some-body in the world and may lord it over others It is not right when men desire outward things that they may live more comfortably and not Serve God more chearfully Quest. But some may Ask How may I know in praying for the things of this Life that I have a respect to Gods Glory since the Heart of man is so Deceitful Answ By these things it may be known 1. He that makes Gods Glory his End in seeking these things is as much in begging Grace to Use them for God as he is to have them Where the desires of a man after these things are right they are not single desires after the things themselves but conjoyned and coupled with desires of Grace whereby he may be inabled to serve and honour God with them This is his most earnest Request That if God put any such price into his Hand he would give him a Heart to make use of it for his Glory Prov. 3. 9. Honour God with thy Substance So this is the great Request of those that eye the Glory of God in their begging the things of this life That if God see it good to bestow those things on them that he would give them to honour Him with their Riches with their Health and with all their Worldly Enjoyments When it is otherwise our praying for them is not right There are many that only look after the things themselves but never begg for Grace by which they should make a right Improvement of them Then it is right when a man desireth rather to be denied the Things themselves than Grace to use them when he can say Lord give me not Riches give me not Honour give me not Worldly Possessions if thou do not withall give me a Heart to use them to thy
of some in Hos 7. 14. that howled upon their Beds for Corn and Wine Those were the things they only sought after and their Prayers was but a brutish Crie compared to the howling of a Dog A gracious Soul pants after the things of another Life when others pant only after the things of this Life The Prophet speaks of such Amos 2. 7. who pant after the Dust of the Earth But David's Soul panted after God Psal 42. 1. So panteth my Soul after Thee O God Then it is Right when we pray for the things of this Life with a serious consideration of their Lowness and Baseness and Inferiority being compared with the things of Eternity and another Life Thus for the second Question The Third Question is This WHether our being Ignorant of What is good for us in this Life doth not warrant to adventure on and undertake things as we say Hand Over-head or at all Adventure without Circumspection Consideration prudential Foresight or providential Care As in the business of Marriage and of managing all our businesses and affairs in this Life Some may say I see I know not what is good for me in this life And therefore the thing I am about notwithstanding all my Prudence and Care and Circumspection may for ought I know be for Evil to me and without all this Care and Circumspection may be for Good to me So the Question is Whether this Truth doth not destroy all Prudential and Providential care about the management of the Affairs of this Life Answer No such matter It makes nothing against that And that we shall shew in these following Propositions which I shall briefly name 1. Divine Providence doth not destroy Humane Prudence Which is so much commended by Solomon in his Book of the Proverbs 2. Gods Providence doth sometimes make up mans Improvidence But that is no warrant at all for a man therefore to be Improvident 3. It is a Tempting of God when we neglect the Means for bringing to passe the End 4. It is creating Crosses to our selves and for which we must only thank our selves We are not called to bear Crosses of our own making but of God's sending 5. It is made one of the Characters of a Righteous man That he guides his Affairs with Discretion Psal 112. 5. 6. There is almost a whole Chapter spent in the Commendation of a Virtuous Woman's Prudential and Providential care in providing for her Husband Children and Family as you may see Prov. 31. 7. Such a Conclusion would justifie that prophane Saying of some That if they are Ordained to be saved they shall be Saved let them live as they list These separate between the Means and the End When as God hath appointed the Means as well as the End So do such in respect of the Affairs of this Life that lay aside Prudence And say If God see it good for me it shall be Good Thus for the Third Question CHAP. VI. The Application 1. IT is useful by way of Information If this be true that no man infallibly knows what is good for a man in this life why then it is not to be wondred at that we find men so wofully mistaken in their Judgments about Conditions and God's outward Dispensations The Prophet speaks of some that call evil good and good evil So man through his ignorance of what is good for him in this life is apt to think that condition good for him that is evil and that condition evil for him that is good We read Job 11. 10. Vain man would be wise So ignorant man would be thought wise in the knowing of things that are above him and beyond his line and that come not within the Sphear of his knowledg Though he know not how to make a Judgment of Conditions yet he will be offering at it nay as confidently undertake it as Astrologers and Gypsies do to tell people their Fortunes But we may say of men in this case as the Apostle doth of those Rom. 1. 22. Professing themselves to be wise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they became fools So while men profess themselves to be so wise as to know what is good for a man in this life they have but shewed themselves fools as hath appeared by their gross mistakes about Conditions The Heathens of old though they thought themselves wise yet shewed themselves fools in their Opinions concerning the Chiefest Good which did amount to the number of 288. And such fools do men shew themselves in their Opinions concerning inferiour good things and what is good for a man in this life But as the Lord saith of the customs of the people Jer. 10. 3. That they are Vain So may we say of the Opinions of people concerning conditions Solomon speaks of some Eccles 7. 10. who would undertake to make a Judgment of Times and did ask Why were the former times better than these But Solomon telleth such They did not enquire wisely concerning them i. e. They were but fools in thinking so So there are many that inquire not wisely concerning conditions and what is good and evil for a man in this life I shall acquaint you with three sorts of persons that are thus mistaken about outward Conditions 1. Some there are that looking upon Honour and Riches and such things as are in themselves good from thence conclude They are things good for them and if they have them conclude it is well with them 2. Some there be who looking upon Afflictions as things evil in themselves conclude from thence that it is evil for them in this life that they are Afflicted 3. Some there are who hearing that it hath been good for some that they have been Afflicted do from thence conclude that because they are Afflicted their condition is good Thus there are some that think the better of themselves for their being Afflicted I shall speak somewhat to shew How all these may be mistaken 1. For the first Some there are that think because Honour and Riches c. are good things in themselves that therefore they are good for them Give me leave to shew you How wofully such persons may be mistaken in doing of it I shall present you with some of those false Grounds and Principles upon which such go who make such a judgment viz. Four 1. That must needs be good for a man in this life that is in it self and in its own nature good 2. That must needs be good for man in this life that suits with and answers to a mans desires 3. That must needs be good for a man in this life that hath been good for others 4. That must needs be good for a man in this life that God gives and bestows upon a man in this life I shall spend a little time in the examining these Grounds to see whether such a Conclusion may be built upon them 1. The First is this That must needs be good for a man in this life that is in it self
world to be the Object of grief and compassion to the Wise and cloudeth their Honour and maketh them usually esteemed the miserablest men alive because they are usually the worst through the Surfeits which they take from worldly fulness and the alienation of their minds from God and Heaven through the prevalence of fleshly pleasures For he is the worst man that is most Earthly and least Heavenly that hath most of the World and least of God upon his heart Especially when the Leprosy of the most brutish Sensuality and stinking Lusts and drunken Pride and savage Cruelty are the Symptoms of this Pernicious Disease Luxuriant animi rebus plerumque secundis Saith Lactantius Ex Prosperitate oritur luxuria ex luxuriâ verò vitia omnia sic impietas adversus Deum nascitur Luxurie springeth from Prosperity and all Vices from Luxurie And thus impiety against God is generated And it frequently maketh the Prosperous so Drunk that they need no other enemy their Disease destroyeth them they reel unto their Ruine Saith Seneca Res est inquieta Foelicitas ipsa se exagitat movet cerebrum non uno genere alios in aliud irritat Et alibi Multarum urbium in ipso flore luxuriosa imperia ceciderunt et quicquid virtute paratum erat intemperantiâ corruit Seeing then that worldly prosperity is usually so pernicious and we can never say before hand That it is for our good How unmeet is it that we should inordinately desire it or think we are undone when adversity is our lot Why seek we that fulness or greatness which hath as Augustine speaks Asperitatem veram jucunditatem falsam certum dolorem incertam voluptatem durum laborem timidam quietem rem plenam miseriae spem beatitudinis inanem That is a true asperity a false delight a certain pain an uncertain pleasure a hard labour a fearful rest a business full of misery and a hope ihat is empty of true felicity And as a leaf it shakes with every wind Internal Gripes External Rumors and a thousand Accidents turn their seeming Paradise into a Hell Ade ò perexigua sunt quae fortunatissimis summam beatitudinis detrahunt saith Seneca For as he saith in another place Felicissimi cujusque delicatissimus est sensus et nisi ad nutum cuncta suppetant omnis adversitatis insolens minimis quibusque prosternitur The most prosperous have a delicate sense and if all things be not at their beck being unused to all Adversity they are cast down with every triffle 3. And I am the more inclined to this Recommendation for the Reverend Author's sake God threatneth by Sickness to call him hence and therefore that he may Preach to many when he is removed from a few and silenced in the dust is that honour to his Name and that benefit to Men which I gladly would Promote He is an Orthodox Sober Peaceable Divine that never interessed himself with any thing like a Faction An excellent and most Methodical Preacher whose labour is better in the Pulpit then in the Press I have oft heard him and scarce ever heard a Sermon from him which I thought not worthy to be published No not when he began to Preach about 26. years ago Many such Humble Godly able faithful Labourers I had the happinesse to be a Neighbour to in the County where he liveth In the matter and style of this Book you may trulier know than from the Reports of Malice what Sedition what Faction what Schism or Heresy they Preached for it was such as this so far as I was acquainted O happy England That hath more Able Powerful Laborious Preachers to spare and lay aside than any other Nation that I hear of in the world proportionably doth enjoy Now he that hath an ear to hear let him hear Yet a little while is the light with you walk while ye have the light lest darkness come upon you for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth John 13. 35. March 14. 1661. Your Companion in the hope and patience of Believers Rich. Baxter THE CONTENTS The Text Eccles 6. 12. The first part of the Verse CHAP. I. SOlomons Design in the whole Book Discovered Mans Felicity consists not in Riches Proved by Some Arguments Chap. 5. 4. more Arguments Chap. 6. The words a Questionary Proposal Doct. No man infallibly knoweth what is good and so on the contrary What is evil for a man in this life The Doctrine Explicated 1. Of what Good to be understood Five Distinctions of good 2. Of what Men Of All Good Bad. The difference shewed between a Godly mans and another mans knowledg of what is Good or Evil for a man in this life in 4. Particulars A Godly mans Ignorance shewed in 2. Particulars CHAP. II. Confirmation of the Doctrine by Scripture Reason The Reason of 2. sorts 1. Some respecting God 2. Some respecting Man 1. Respecting God God hath hid this knowledg from man Why God hath hid it shewed in 9. Particulars CHAP. III. 2. Respecting Man viz. Man's Inability to know it This is shewed in 7. Particulars 1. Man's Ignorance of mens Spirits and Dispositions 2. Not knowing how they will manage their Condition 3. Not knowing to what Evils and Dangers their Condition may expose them 4. Not knowing what Snares Satan may lay in a Condition 5. Not knowing what the Wheel is within the Wheel 6. The sudden Change of Conditions 7. Want of the Right Art of making a Judgment of Conditions Most judg of them By Opinion Sense Affection CHAP. IV. Questions Resolved 1. Question Whether it be lawfull to Pray against Afflictions since a man knoweth not but they may be good for him Answered 1. Generally in 4. Things 2. Particularly in 2 Things It is lawful to Pray for the Keeping them off Taking them off 1. For keeping them off But we must Pray for that Not Absolutely But Conditionally A double praying against Afflictions viz. The things themselves The Evil of the things 2. For the taking them off shewed in 4. Particulars CHAP. V. 2. Question Whether it be lawful to pray for the things of this life Since we know not but they may be for evil to us Answered 1. Generally 2. Particularly 1. In General shewed it is lawful in 6. things 2. Particularly Not to pray for them Absolutely Vltimately God's Glory chiefly to be eyed in praying for outward things How a man may know he eyes the Glory of God in praying for outward things shewed in 4. Particulars 3. Question Whether man's Ignorance of what is good or evil for him in this life doth warrant him to adventure upon businesses hand over head Without Consideration Circumspection Answered in 6. Particulars CHAP. VI. Application 1. Information Of three sorts of Persons mistaken about Conditions 1. Some about a Prosperous Condition Thinking it good for them Four Grounds of their mistake Their Grounds Examined The fallaciousness of them discover'd in divers particulars CHAP. VII 2. Some mistaken about an
crowded in with It and when Sin shall be no more these Miseries and Evils shall be no more Rev. 21. 4. There shall be no more Death c. The Thred followeth the Needle Sin was the Needle that drew in with it the Thred of Miseries and Afflictions Man had never known what Losses and Crosses and Miseries and Afflictions had bin had it not been for Sin 2. Afflictions of themselves do us no good of themselves they do not make a man better The Good by Afflictions comes from a Superiour Work from those admirable Influences and Concurrences of the Spirit of God on and with the Afflictions As our Saviour said Man lives not by Bread only So man is not amended by Afflictions only Put a Stone into the Fire it cometh out a Stone still No water either hot or cold will make a Blackmore White Empty Vinegar from Vessel to Vessel it will be Vinegar still So let a man be emplyed from Condition to Condition he is still the same We know the Plough breaks up the Earth but of it self doth not better it it leaveth it as it was there is nothing put in by the Plough If the Husbandman Dung it and cast in good Seed when he hath broken it up with his Plough then there is like to be a Harvest else there is nothing but Weeds and Nettles The Plough of Afflictions may break our Bodies and Estates and Spirits but there will be no Harvest without something more without an Heavenly Influence Afflictions will bring forth only Briars and Thorns The Expression of the Psalmist is Psal 94. 12. Blessed is the Man whom thou chastenest and teachest out of thy Law It is then happy when Correction and Instruction go together 3. As Afflictions are fruits of Sin and of themselves do no good so oftentimes through Mans Corruption they prove occasions of Sin They are so far from making men Better that they often make men Worse I have shewed before what Evils are incident both to a state of Prosperity and Adversity Satan knoweth how to make Afflictions to become Temptations And therefore we find this to be the Reason why Agur prayed against Poverty Prov. 30. 9. lest I be Poor and Steal and the Name of God be taken in Vain q. d. Poverty may put me under a Temptation of using Unlawful means to the Dishonour of God Thus Afflictions prove somtimes occasions of Sin and we are taught to Pray That we may not be led into Temptation 4. Consider again this That the Saints and Servants of God have prayed against Afflictions So they have prayed for 1. The Preventing of them and Keeping them off 2. The Removing them and Taking them off 1. For the Preventing them and keeping them Off. Thus did Agur Prov. 30. 8 9. where you have his Prayer First Against the Evils of Sin Ver. 7. Take from me Vanity and Lying Next Against the Evils of Affliction Ver. 8. Give me not Poverty 2. They have prayed for the Removing them and taking them off And those have done it who got as much good by their Afflictions as any under Heaven Thus David Psal 39. 10. Take away thy Stroak from me Psal 119. 22. Turn away Shame and Reproach from me Thus did Job Job 9. 34. Let him take away his Rod from me Job 13. 20 21. Withdraw thine Hand from me c. Where he Prayeth for Gods taking away his Afflicting Rod and for his with-drawing his Afflicting Hand And these Two men got as much good by their being Afflicted as ever any did Thus in General You see what we Answer to the Question Whether Evils of Affliction may be Prayed against II. We come to give a more particular Answer to the Question And tell you That though we say It is Lawful to pray against Afflictions yet it must be with the Observation of some Rules and Cautions and Directions That as our Saviour said in another case concerning Hearing Take heed how ye Hear So in this case of praying against Afflictions we say Take heed how ye Pray So consider There is a double praying against Afflictions as I told you before 1. For the Keeping them off 2. For the Taking them off 1. For the Keeping them off So there is a Twofold praying for the Keeping off Afflictions 1. Absolute 2. Conditional and with Submission 1. Absolute When men Pray that in no Case the Evil may happen to them so making their Will a Law to God's This praying against Afflictions is Unwarrantable and Unlawful We must know for Moral Evils of Sin we may pray absolutely against but not so against the Evils of Affliction 2. There is a Praying against them that is Conditional with Submission to the Will of God This is Lawful Our Saviour himself prayed that the Cup might pass from Him but adds this Not my Will but Thine be done Our praying against Afflictions is then right when there is a sweet Submission of our wills to the Will of God So that though we know that Afflictions are grievous to our Natures yet because we know not what the Decrees and Purposes of God are concerning us and not knowing but that He may see them good for us and make them good to us we do sweetly submit our wills to the Will of God and Proclaim Liberty to Him to deal with us as He please And herein is the Work of Grace seen that though Nature desireth wholly to be freed from them they being such things as are bitter to It yet a Christian leavs himself wholly to the Will of God and saith Not my Will but Thine be done When Christians see the Cup of Affliction preparing for them or coming towards them they must pray against it only as our Saviour did It is then right when in praying against Afflictions we pray absolutely that God may be Glorified but for the things that concern our selves we pray with Submission to His Will Thus Christ did John 12. 27 28. Save me from this Hour but for this cause came I to this Hour Father Glorify thy Self Our Saviour is absolute in that request of his That His Father would Glorify his Name and received an Answer But for the other Request he sweetly submitted to His Father 's Will. Thus doth a Gracious Heart pray absolutely that God may be Glorified let it be in Relation to himself which way the Lord please Thus in desiring freedom from Affliction though a Gracious Heart looks upon it as desirable to Nature to be freed from Losses and Crosses Sickness and Poverty c Yet he looks upon Gods Glory as That that is to preferred before its own worldly Welfare Ease Quiet Contentment and Comfort Whereas some may say that Agur prayed absolutely against Poverty Prov. 30. 8 9. Give me not Poverty c. We Answer that though it looketh like an absolute Request yet it is not If we look upon the Reason of the Request Vers 9. we shall find that he prayed absolutely only in relation
us as our Daily Bread It is strange yet it is true These Thorns will bear Grapes and these Thistles will bear Figgs And there is a Day when the Saints of God shall say They could not have been without such and such Afflictions and that It was good for them that they were Afflicted Some Trees there are whose Root is Bitter yet their Fruit Sweet A natural Eye seeth no Good in them and tastes no Sweetness And indeed the Spiritual man doth not always at present discern what Advantage cometh by them We must know those Creatures that we look upon as Venemous and Noxious are yet useful for some Ends and some Respects Thus even Toads c. The skilful Apothecary knoweth how to make Vipers and Scorpions Medicinal Enquire of the Saints of God and they will tell you from their own Experience What good Afflictions have done them and that they were Chastned for their Profit Heb. 12. 10. Afflictions seem to be but dry Rods yet like Aaron's Rod they have found them bringing forth both Blossomes and Fruit. 3. Some say Afflictions are bitter and burthensom to Nature and therefore conclude they are not good for a man in this Life We shall a little examine this to see whether there be Truth in it The Premises are granted That they are Bitter and Grievous to Flesh and Blood and the Apostle grants it Heb. 12. 11. But the Consequence is denied That what is Bitter and Grievous to Flesh and Blood is therefore Evil for a man in this Life And therefore we are to distinguish between what is Toothsom and what is Wholsom Between things that are Pleasingly and Profitably good Things may be Profitably good for us that are not Pleasingly good Those things are sometimes most Wholsom that are least Toothsom There be sweet and honied Poysons that Destroy And there be bitter and distastful Medicines that do Cure We know Wormwood is a Bitter hearb and yet Wholesom and Useful for Man Some things may be sweet in the Mouth that yet are bitter in the Stomack Heb. 12. 11. The Apostle saith of Afflictions though they are Grievous yet they bring forth the quiet fruit of Righteousness Here is the Difference between the Evils of Sin and of Affliction The Evils of Sin they are Sweet in the Mouth but bitter afterwards but the Evils of Affliction are bitter in the Mouth but sweet in the Close Afflictions indeed are bitter but oftentimes the bitternesse ariseth from our own Spirits When our Taste is Vitiated some things seem to be Bitter to us that otherwise would not be so It 's our Spirits that many times Imbitter our Condition and make our Chain much Heavier than other waies it would be There are many Afflict themselves when they are under an Affliction As it is with a Bird when it is gotten into a Room or Chamber it might do well if it sate still till the Doors and Casements were opened but till then with flying against the Walls it doth but hurt and bruise it self To close up this Physitians do observe we are most apt to Surfeit of those things that are most Sweet and Luscious And we find Solomon the Wisest of Men prefers bitter things before Sweet Eccles 7. 3. Sorrow is better than Laughter Ver. 4. It is better to go to the House of Mourning than to the House of Feasting 4. Some say That Afflictions are the Effects and Fruits of Sin And therefore not Good for a man in this Life We shall a little Examine this Ground It is true That Afflictions were at first Fruits of Sin But we must make a Difference between what they were at First and what Jesus Christ hath made them to His People now It is true they were at first the products of Sin but to the People of God they are now Changed and Altered We must Distinguish between what is Sinfully Evil and Penally Evil. What is Sinfully Evil is Unchangeably Evil but Afflictions are but Penally Evil and may be made good We must know As there is a Regeneration of Persons so of Things To him that is Born again All is Born again As his Outward Comforts are born again so all his Outward Afflictions It is true the Evils of Afflictions were first Conceived in the womb of Sin and Sin brought them Forth but there is the womb of the Covenant and of the Promise where they are New-formed and out of which those things that were Punishments come forth Priviledges and what was Loss comes forth Gain We read Rom. 5. 12. Sin entred into the World and Death by Sin We see Death came in by Sin Death which is the King of Fears and so its Attendants with it viz. all Miseries and Afflictions whatsoever Thus at first they were conceived in and came forth of the womb of Sin but the Covenant and Promise have changed and altered them it turneth Miseries into Mercies and Punishments into Priviledges and Evil into Good 1 Cor. 3. 22. All is yours saith the Apostle to Believers and among other things he names Death where he makes Death one of the Believer's Priviledges put into the Believer's Charter And the same Apostle Phil. 1. 21. saith To him to Die was Gain Death in respect of its first Birth was Losse but being born again it becomes Gain And as Death which is the King of Fears and so the chief of Evils so likewise all other Evils are Gain to a believer Rom. 8. 28. All things work together for Good to them that love God Thus we have examined the Grounds that those go upon in making this Judgment of an Afflicted Condition That it is Evil for a Man in this Life I shall Conclude with these Queries 1. Who knows or can say that That is Evil for a man in this Life that God inflicts upon the best in this Life We often find the cup of Gall and Wormwood going round about the Saints Tables We usually find it the Diet-drink with which God doth Physick his Dearest Children With the same Sword wherewith He destroyeth his Enemies He sometimes wounds his Friends and all this for their Good We find the Godly ones of Judah were carried Captives to Babylon as well as others they lost their Houses Estates were taken out of the Land of their Nativity and carried into a strange Land And yet the Lord saith of them Jer. 24. 5. That he had sent them into Captivity for their Good 2. Who knows or can say that that is Evil for man in this Life that may be consistent with Happinesse An Afflicted Man may yet in this Life be a happy Man As Man at his best Estate is but Vanity so there are that in their worst Estate may be Happy A Man may be Great and Rich and yet Miserable And a Man may be Poor and Afflicted and yet Happy Job 5. 17. Behold Happy is the Man whom God Correcteth It seems to be a strange thing and therefore a BEHOLD is put to it A
stands in this In a Sweet and Patient Submission to the Will and Dispensation of God being content with what God sendeth whether it be good or evil and that upon these Considerations 1. That God knoweth what is better for us in this life then we do since no Man knoweth what is good for man in this life 2. That Good and Evil come both from one and the same God It is the Lord that gives and that takes away As we have Blessings by Divine Donation so Afflictions by Divine Ordination It is God that bringeth not only Men and their Comforts but also Men and their Crosses together 3. As Good and Evil come from the same God so they may come from the same Affection in God They may both come from Love The Apostle James puts this Question Can a Fountain send forth sweet water and bitter Jam. 3. 11. Yet from the same Fountain of Divine Love may issue the sweet Waters of Comfort and the bitter Waters of Afflictions The same Love that moves a Father to bestow an Inheritance on his Child moves him also to Correct his Child 4. All Evils come from a God that hath a Soveraign Power over us and may do with us what he pleaseth A God that may give and take away and who can say to Him What doest Thou A God that hath Right to all that we have and so may take away what he please In taking away he takes away but what is His own It is observable in Scripture That the Lord claimeth an Interest in all that belongs to Man viz. The Earth and the Fulness thereof and so whatsoever it affordeth to man Whether Fields full of Corn or Foulds full of Sheep or Orchards full of Fruit or Stables full of Meat The very Cattel and the Beasts of the Earth are the Lords Psal 50. 10. All the Beasts of the Forrest are mine The Beasts of the Forrest are of a wild nature and commonly know no Master and yet of these The Lord saith they are His So also He saith of Gold and Silver Hag. 2. 8. Thy Gold and Silver is mine Yea the Wool and the Flax we have Hos 2. 8. He saith It is His. So that God in taking away any thing from us takes away but what is His own 5. All Evils come from the Hand of a Powerful God with whom there is no Contending When a great Philosopher was chekt for yielding in a Discourse he had with Adrian the Emperour he gave this Answer Should I not yield to him that hath Thirty Legions at command There is no Contesting with Soveraignty no Resisting Omnipotency no Striving with our Maker The Earthen Pitcher by striking against a Rock doth but dash it self to pieces 6. All Evils come from a Righteous God that can do His creature no wrong Gen. 18. 25. Shall not the Judg of all the Earth do Right Rom. 3. 5. Is God Vnrighteous saith the Apostle that taketh Vengeance And he answereth it with a God forbid So we may say Is God Unrighteous that sendeth Affliction God forbid Deut. 32. 4. All His wayes are Judgment 7. All Evils come from that God that can bring Good out of Evil and Light out of Darkness that can turn Water into Wine and make us Spiritual Gainers by Temporal Afflictions He sometimes pulls down to build up better and sometimes takes away when He intends a greater Good Thus for the Use of Information We now come to the Resolution of this great Question Whether the knowledg of what is good for a man in this life be so hidden from man that it may not in some measure be attained to And if so What Directions are there for the attaining of this Knowledg Answ Though the full and perfect Knowledg of what is good for a man in this Life be so hidden That a Man cannot make a Judgement of others conditions yet we grant that he may make a judgement of his own Condition And here I shall give in some Directions to help Men in making a Judgement of their own Condition 1. General 2. Particular I. General Directions 1. Something is to be Known 2. Something is to be Done I. Something is to be Known before we can make a right Judgement of our Condition So the things to be Known are these 1. Who is the Framer of our Conditions Who it is Ordains and Appoints them and puts us into them It is not as the Heathen thought Quisque fortunae suae faber That every Man is the Framer of his own Fortune and so of his own Condition Conditions are Divine Allotments Misery saith Job springs not out of the Dust. And the Psalmist tells us That Promotion comes neither from the East nor from the West but God is the Judge i. e. He is the great Orderer and Disposer of Conditions He puteth down One and setteth up Another It comes not from the East or West It comes not from Earth nor from Man but it is God that brings a Man and his Condition together and that Frames it for him And it is impossible that ever any Man should make a true Judgement of his Condition That doth not first Know who is the Framer of it 2. We must know the right way of making a Judgement of Conditions Except we know that it is impossible but we must be Mistaken And I shall give you some Particulars concerning that 1. In Judging of Conditions Take heed of being over-Hasty Hasty and Rash Judgment is seldom Right We are to Weigh and Consider well of a Condition before we make a Judgement of it A Condition at the first Blush may seem otherwayes then it is The Good and so the Evil of a Condition doth not appear presently It may lie at the Bottom of it The good of Affliction doth not appear presently but the Apostle saith Heb. 12. 11. It yeildeth the quiet fruit of Righteousnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to them that are exercised thereby So that we must be Exercised in a Condition before we can make a Judgement of a Condition And the Apostle in that Chapter telleth us That an Afflicted condition at the first sight seems grievous and not joyous but afterwards saith he it brings forth the quiet fruit of Righteousness This was the Errour of Job's Friends they were too hasty in making a Judgement of his Condition and so it is no wonder they were so Mistaken about it 2. In making a Judgement of Conditions you must not judge of the Person by the Condition but of the Condition by the Person Some there be that judge of Persons by the Condition As the Barbarians did of Paul when they saw a Viper hanging on his Hand Surely this Man is a Murderer c. Thus some judge of Persons to be Good or Evil according as their Conditions are So they judge those to be Good whose condition is Prosperous as those in Malachi Mal. 3. 15. called the proud Happy And so they look upon those as Wicked
doing this is one great reason why so many have been so grosly mistaken about conditions calling Good Evil and Evil Good We know when a mans judgment is asked concerning the goodness and value of a thing he will first view it before he gives his judgment of it So we must do concerning conditions view before we judg But you will ask How may a man come to take a right view of his condition that he be not mistaken about it For Answer to that take these Directions 1. He that will take a right view of a condition must view it by Scripture Light David was mistaken about conditions till he went into the Sanctuary and by the Light there he saw what he did not before discern Many men set up false lights and view conditions by them viz. the Judgment and Opinions of others and their own Apprehensions and Imaginations These are Glasses through which many look upon conditions which make but false Representations Some tell us In the Opticks there is a Glass that will represent a foul dirty way so green and pleasant as if it were covered with Carpets Through such false Glasses do many view their conditions There are Magnifying Glasses that will represent the Object far bigger then it is that will make a small Fly seem a Hornet a Straw a Staff and a grain of Mustard-seed a Bean. Such a Glass a mans own apprehension and imagination is in the viewing of his condition They make the things of a condition seem bigger to us then they are Thus sometimes the comforts of a condition and the crosses of a condition are represented to us bigger than they are Now he that will take a right view of a condition must lay aside these false lights and glasses and must view his condition by Scripture-Light And that for these reasons 1. The Scripture will help a man to make a true discovery of the things of a condition The Scripture giveth us the best account of what the things of a prosperous condition are viz. Riches and Honour c. And it gives us the best account what Losses and Crosses and Afflictions are As for the first The Scripture telleth us They are all but Vanity And that the best things of this world stand upon two lame Leggs viz. Uncertainty and Insufficiency Nay it is observable it doth not tell us the vanity of outward things only Notionally but delivereth it to us as a Truth that hath been Experimented and Tryed by those who both had a Will and also Ability to make the Experiment Thus you find Solomon did and in the Book of the Ecclesiastes we have him giving in his Experiments concerning the best of outward things in this short Sentence All is vanity And then for Afflictions the Scripture sets up a Light for us for the taking a right view of them And telleth us what Verdicts have been passed by those who have had Tryals of them Among others David who said It was good for him that he was Afflicted To close this Scripture Light in respect of this particular must needs be a great advantage to a man in his taking a view of his condition 2. The Scripture will help us to view a condition by discovering to us What those things are that make a condition good and without which a condition is not good The Scripture is much in making out to men what it is that is good indeed Solomon in his Ecclesiastes sheweth the mistakes of men concerning Happiness and makes it appear by Experience that it did not lie in Honours or Pleasures or Riches c. And Observe how he closeth his Book with a discovery of that wherein mans Happiness lieth Chap. 12. 13. Hear the conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep his Commandements for this is the whole duty of man It is the Totum hominis the whole and the All of man The Scripture doth not only discover to men what the good and evil of this world is but also what it is that is good indeed without which a condition is not good and with which a condition is not evil It sheweth a man That without controversy this is good for a man in this life viz. Pardon and Peace and Union with God and an Interest in Jesus Christ c. Thus the Scripture helpeth a man in viewing by directing him to discover what is good indeed and makes a condition good to a man It holds out a clear light to a man by which he may find out what it is that speaks his condition good Augustin said of Tullies Works They were once sweet to him but now he found no sweetness in them because he found not Jesus mentioned in them The Scripture directs us in the viewing of a condition to do as a man doth when he cometh into a Richly-furnished-Shop seeking after some rare piece of ware though many be brought to his hand yet he layeth them all aside till he find the piece he desireth and looks for So it is in viewing the good of a condition the Scripture will direct a man to lay all aside till he come to discern that which is good indeed In a prosperous condition when Honour and Riches c. come to hand it teacheth him to put the question to himself Are there not better things then these So in an Afflicted condition it teacheth a man to lay his Crosses and Troubles and Afflictions aside and to put the question to himself Whether there be not greater evils than those And whether evils of Sinning be not greater than evils of Suffering The Scripture teacheth a man to view a condition as Samuel did the Sons of Jesse to find out David whom the Lord had chosen Jesse brings forth his Eldest Son Samuel said That is not he he then brought his seaven Sons before him And Samuel answered Neither hath the Lord chosen any of these and then he cometh to David who was the man looked after In taking a view view of conditions we must know the Rule is this In viewing a Prosperous Condition you may see Honour and Riches and other things of the world passing by you But put them by bid them stand aside Tell them They are not the things that make a man happy So in the taking a view of an Afflicted condition many evils may present themselves to us But the Scripture telleth us That these are not the evils that we are to look upon as the worst of evils 3. The Scripture doth thus help us in taking a view of our conditions It unvayles conditions and unfoldeth the Mysteries of a Condition without which a man cannot take a right view nor make a right judgment of his condition We find David stumbling at the prosperity of Wicked men and at the adversity of Godly Men He knew not what to think of it When he saw waters of a full cup wrung out to the one and waters of Affliction to the other he began to think that he was
they made that promise to the Prophet it was with this Reservation Provided that the Answer that comes from God be answerable to our desires Thus they became their own choosers and rejected the Counsel of God to their own destruction 2. This speaks we are not our own choosers of Conditions viz. When Lawfull means are not neglected nor Unlawful means used 1. When Lawful means are not neglected for the avoiding of the Evils of Affliction There are many that do create crosses to themselves We are to bear those Crosses that God layeth upon us but we are not to make our own crosses There is little comfort in bearing a cross that is of our own making It is one thing when God makes us sick or poor c. And another thing when we make our selves so by the neglect of means 2. When Unlawful means are not used to mend and better our outward condition Some there are that God hath placed low And not being contented they fall upon the use of unlawful means to raise themselves And will not waite for the Invitations of Providence till God bid them sit up higher There is an expression Prov. 28. 30. He that maketh haste to be Rich shall not be Innocent There is a making haste to be Rich. Some will not keep the Road but will break Hedges and think to find a nearer way to be Rich by the use of unlawful means 3. This speaks we are not our own choosers of Conditions viz. When cross-Providences do not discontent us When what pleaseth God pleaseth us When we can say as Job did Shall we receive good at the hands of God and shall we not receive evil It is then right When what pleaseth God pleaseth us There is a known Story of the answer that a Shepheard returned to some Travailers who asked him What weather they should have Such weather as I please saith he and told them The weather would be such as God pleased but what pleased God pleased him It is then right When what pleaseth God pleaseth us 4. This speaks that we are not our own choosers of conditions viz. When outward good things are prayed for and outward evills are prayed against With submission to the Will of God Our Saviour telleth us John 5. 30. He came not to seek his own will but the Will of Him that sent him And when he was to drink of that bitter Cup though he had prayed it might pass from him yet he addeth Mat. 26. 39. Not my Will but Thine be done So John 12. 27. Father saith he Glorify thy self When he had prayed before to be kept from that hour yet he cometh in with this Father Glorify thy self q. d. What ever becometh of me Yet Father Glorify thy self We should Imitate Jesus Christ in this and say Lord Let not my will but thy Will be done VVe should in praying either for outward good things or against outward evills say as those did Acts 21. 14. The will of the Lord be done VVe have an expression 1 Joh. 5. 14. This confidence we have that if we ask any thing according to his Will he heareth us This is the way to be heard when we ask not only according to his Revealed Will but with Submission to his Secret Will The Rule for the right using of the great Ordinance of Prayer is Asking according to the VVill of God It is not asking according to our own wills It is not to ask what we will for that is to be our own choosers In prayer there is a making known of our desires to God both for the bestowing the good things that we need and averting the evils that we fear and in all this there must be a submission to the will of God In the best of Saints there is Grace and Nature Nature would have it's will but then Grace cometh and causeth a submission to God's will And saith as our Saviour did Let not my will but thine be done 5. You may know you are not your own choosers of Conditions by this viz. When you are not too careful about the Issues and Events of things It is thus with some They can be content to use the Means but trouble themselves about the Issue and Event Some are content that God should prescribe them the Means but they would appoint the Success When we can use Means and leave the Issue to God without a distrustful thought then it is right We have an expression of Joab's 1 Chron. 19. 13. When the children of Ammon came against David he sent Joab forth with his Army to give them Battle and the Counsel that Joab gave to his brother Abishai was this Be of good Courage and let us behave our selves Valiantly for our People and for the Cities of our God and let the Lord do that which is good in his sight q. d. Let us use the Means and leave the Issue and Success to God Joab knew that the issues of Warr were in the hands of God and therefore left them to Him Our thoughtfulness about the Issues of things proceedeth from a desire that is in us to be our own choosers This is forbidden Phil. 4. 6. In nothing be careful The care forbidden is about the Issues and Events of things And such a Care bespeaks a fear that things will not fall out according to our Desires and Expectations and speaks our desire of being our own Choosers 6. This speaks our not being our own Choosers of a condition viz. When we have a Promise and can rest upon Providence to bring it about without shewing the way how to do it Remember we are to serve Providence but not to go before it When we go about to teach Providence its way How to bring to pass a Promise this speaks a desire in us of being our own choosers Thus it was with Rebeccah when the promise was concerning her Sons That the elder should serve the younger Yet she could not be content with that but must devise a way of her own how to bring it to pass As if God needed her Sin and her Shifting to bring to pass what he had promised Providence needeth not our Midwisery to bring to pass Gods Purposes Concerning them we may say as the Egyptian Midwives did of the Israelitish women That they were lively and were Delivered before the Midwives came to them So let me say of Providences and Promises They need not our help for their being Delivered The truth is we are too apt to mix our Wisdom with God's and to direct his Providence how to Work Job 38. 2. Saith God Who is this that darkneth wisdom with words without knowledge How many be there that darken providence with their own sinful Inventions As though they would teach God how to bring to pass and perform his own Promises It is then right When we can wait upon God for the performance of his Promises in his own Way And this speaks We are not our own choosers 7. This
is in sin and so he must needs be unhappy It is said of Naaman That he was a Great and Honourable man but he was a Leaper that imbittered all So let a man be what he will for his outward condition sin unpardoned will spoil all What comfort hath a Great man if he hath the Stone in the Bladder or the Gout So when sin is unpardoned it imbitters the comforts of the best worldly condition If we could extract the quintessence of all outward comforts into one Catholick and Universal comfort yet it would do nothing to cure the evil of sin 2. The worst worldly condition cannot make a pardoned man Miserable The comfort of a pardoned condition is such as is not to be over-topped by any discomfort in any worldly condition Our Saviour speaking to the man sick of the Palsy saith Mat. 9. 2. Son be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven thee Pardon of sin is the greatest comfort Isa 40. 1. Comfort ye my people saith the Lord And one thing wherewith they were to be comforted was this That their iniquity was pardoned Could we extract out of all worldly Evills the quintessence of them into one Catholick and Universal Misery As it is reported of Caesar-Borgia That he was so skilled in the Art of Poysoning that he could contract the Poyson of a hundred Toads into one drop Yet all this would not amount to the Misery that attendeth sin 11. This is good for a man in this life without dispute To lay up Treasure there where things are Purest and things are Surest viz. To lay up Treasure in Heaven According to our Saviours Counsel Mat. 6. 19 20. Lay not up for your selves Treasures on earth where the rust and moath doth corrupt c. Some may ask But is it not good for a man to lay up Treasures on earth Let me tell you It is not good for you to have those for your only Treasure They are Treasures that Rust may corrupt or Theeves Steal But would you know what is good for a man indeed in this life It is laying up Treasure in Heaven There things are Pure no Rust to Corrupt them and there things are Sure no Theeves to Steal them It is Wisdom in treasuring up of things not to reflect upon the place from which we are going but upon the place to which we are going Were a man only for this life and were this world only to be his continuing City then it were somewhat to lay up Treasures here But remember this life is but a passage to another and it is good to lay up our Treasure there whither we are going It should be with us as with a man that is removing into another Country He sends his Treasure before hand thither and keeps no more about him then what will serve him for his Removal So that without controversy this is good for a man in this life To lay up Treasure in Heaven 12. This is good for a man in this life without dispute viz. To seek after distinguishing Favours Conditions in themselves are un-distinguishing Eccles 9. 1. We should therefore look after those things that speak distinguishing and not common Love Psal 4. 6. There be many that say saith David Who will shew us any good But Lord Lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us This is a distinguishing thing Corn and Wine and Oyl are not But the light of God's countenance is Christians remember that the outward things of a condition are but common without the Graces of the Condition 13. This is good for a man in this life without dispute viz. To keep peace within however things are without A good Conscience is a good thing for a man in this life An Heathen could say as I told you before Intus si recte ne labores If all be well within never trouble thy self Solomon saith of a good Conscience that it is a continual Feast A good Conscience is an Heaven and an evil one is an Hell in this life 14. This is good for a man in this life without dispute viz. For a man to keep himself in a continual preparation for Death This is good for a man without controversy And it will appear by these particulars 1. It is not good for a man to live one hour in that estate wherein he dare not dye Dare you dye in an Unbelieving and an Unregenerate Estate 2. It is good for a man to dye daily and to keep himself in a dying disposition When the Apostle saith Pray continually The meaning is That we should still keep our hearts in a praying Frame So when we speak of dying daily The meaning is That by daily meditation of and preparation for Death we should dye daily A Lyon seldom seen is the more terrible 3. It is good for a man in this life To do every thing so as that it may hold an agreement with a dying condition This is that we should look to Whether in seeking the things of this life we seek them so as that our seeking holds an agreement with a dying state Do you use the world as though you used it not Do you do every Duty as if it were your dying Duty 4. It is good for a man in this life To live every day as if it were his last day and to be doing that every day that we should be found doing at our last day Some think that good at Death that they looked not upon as good in Life O that men would consider that what is good at the last hour must needs be good every hour As on the contrary What is evil at Death must needs be evil in Life 5. It is good for a man so to live that when he comes to die he may have nothing to do but to die It is a folly in many to put off all till Sickness and Death come Solomon calleth upon men Eccles 12. 1. To remember their Creator in the dayes of their youth It is a madness in people to leave the hardest work to the worst and weakest State To close all Let me tell you Christians That it is said of David that after he had served his Generation by the Will of God or as some read it After he had served the Will of God in his Generation he fell a sleep How many fall a sleep before they do their work And put off their bodies before they put off their sins FINIS Fuit nuper non in agris nec in sylvis sed in maxima florentissimaque et quod stupeas urbe Italiae neque is Pastor aratorve sed vir nobilis magnique apud cives suos loci qui juravit se magno pretio empturum nequis unquam suam patriam literatus intraret O vox saxei pectoris Petr. Perhaps it was some Pope of Rome