The Balance of the Sanctuary, Treatise · Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII. Why God ſo ordereth his workes, as wee thinke, here in this world that in a manner they follow of neceſſitie, and ruleth in ſuch ſort, that it is commonly and ordinarily found, that man by his owne wiſedome or power, can deither adde thereunto, nor diminiſh any thing from them.
SALOMON expreſly ſetteth downe vntounto vsus, that God ſo ordereth his workes and heauenly prouidence, to the end that men ſhould feare him. Whatſoeuer God doth, it ſhall be for euer, nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it, and God doth it that men ſhould feare him, Eccleſ. 3. 14. That is, that men ſhould not forſake him nor diſpiſe his workes, neither yet cleaue vntounto, nor depend vponupon any man, but onelyonly vponupon God; That the wiſe man may not glory in his wiſedome, nor the mightie man in his ſtrength, nor the rich man in his riches; but that hee that glorieth, glorie in this, that hee vnderſtandeth and knoweth that God is the Lord, which exerciſeth louing kindneſſe, iudgement, and righteouſneſſe on earth, Ieremie 9. 23. 24.
By that which before hath been ſaid, touching the admirable and ſtrange workes of GOD, wrought and brought to paſſe among the children of men: We are taught, firſt, not to truſt vponupon▪ or vntounto our owne wiſedome, diligence, beautie, ſtrength, friends; riches, nor any other terreſtriall thing whatſoeuer it may bee, which yet are many times eſteemed to bee fit and neceſſarie for the bringing of worldly matters to paſſe, and to further our proiects: but onelyonly to feare the Lord our God, and to remember that hee holdeth a greater hand ouer vsus, then all thoſe things doe, Eccleſ. 5. 8. Secondly, before and aboue all things to attend to his good will and pleaſure, touching the euent thereof, as much as in vsus lieth, and as much as poſſibly we may, in all the meanes and wayes which God ſetteth before vsus, and which he will hauehave the children of men to vse, and whereby alſo he commonly vſeth to proſper their actions, and to bleſſe them. And herein wee muſt the rather be ſpecially carefull, for that the peruerſe children of men, who by nature are wickedly bent, vſe to draw another concluſion from this point of doctrine, that all things do in ſuch manner depend on God, for they conclude not from therice, that therefore aboue all things they muſt onelyonly depend vponupon the Lord their God; but on the contrary, that they need not therefore refraine from euill doing, but that they may ſtill follow after their owne luſts, and take their pleaſures as long as they can: They take likewiſe further occaſion thereby, to walke moſt careleſly and diſſolutely here on earth, with more greedineſſe to commit ſinne and wickedneſſe, and deſperately to enter into all kind of miſchiefe; reaſoning thus with themſelues, and ſaying, How can I helpe it, ſeeing all dependeth vponupon God? my reſolution is therefore to lay hold on the time, and to take my pleaſure while I may. Whereas on the contrary, they ought rather to learne much more to feare the Lord, and call to mind and ſay, that, ſeeing all dependeth on God, hew much ought I to feare that God who onelyonly can do good or euill vntounto me. Yea, ſo would they both thinke and doe, if they beleeued, that this wonderfull God, is alſo a good God. But doing other-wayes they ſhew thereby, that they ſollow the nature and ſteps of the Deuill that expecteth no good from the hands of God.
This conceite of the vngodly muſt bee cleane baniſhed from vsus; and we muſt remember that all things depend vponupon God, and therefore ſo vſe the meanes, that before & aboue all things wee ſeeke and labor to hauehave God on our ſide in eueryevery thing that we doe. We muſt alſo feare him in ſuch manner, that we muſt hold and eſteeme all that God doth to be good, right, and well done, although we cannot ſee nor perceiue the cauſe or the reaſon of his actions. A Childe ſeeth his Father doe many things in the houſe whereof hee cannot conceiue the reaſon, and yet neuertheleſſe he reapeth benefit, and fareth the better thereby; So muſt we alſo … and often times thinke with our ſelues, tha… Gods thoughts are not our thoughts, nor our wayes hi… w…es; for as the heauens are higher then the earth▪ ſo his wayes are higher then ours, and his thoughts then our thoughts, Eſa. 55. 8. 9. And conſequently, that although Gods wayes vntounto fleſhly men ſeeme not to be right; yet we muſt not with the Iſraelites ſay, the way of the Lord is not equall, Ezech. 18. 25. Nay, although God ſuffer the vngodly to liue in great wealth, proſperitie, and pleaſure, here in this world, and on the contrary maketh the godly to turne his backe vponupon the enemie, letting them that hate them ſpoyle them, giuing them like ſheepe appoynted for meate, and ſcattereth them among the Heathen, ſelleth them for nothing, and doth not increaſe his wealth by their price, maketh them a reproch to their neighbours, a ſcorne & a deriſion to them that are about them, maketh them a by-word among the Heathen, a ſhaking of the head among the people, ſo that their confuſion is continually before them, and the ſhame of their faces doth couer them, for the voices of thoſe that reproch and blaſpheme them, by reaſon of the enemie and reuenger, Pſal. 44. 10. &c. Yet we muſt thinke well of the wayes of God, & muſt not murmur againſt him, nor ſay, that hee hath wrought iniquitie, Iob 36. 23. Neither muſt we by any meanes thinke or conceiue, That God ſhould doe wickedneſſe, or that he ſhould commit iniquitie, Iob 34. 10. or that the Iudge of all the earth ſhould not iudge right, Gen. 18. 25. or that the wiſe God that giueth the labourer wiſedome to plow his Land, thereby to reape a good harueſt thereof, ſhould himſelfe vſe no wiſedome in the framing of his Children, to make them fruitfull, Eſa. 28. 23. 24. But on the contrary, although wee cannot conceiue the depth of the wonderfull wayes of God towards the ſonnes of men, yet we muſt hold this for a generall rule, that all the workes of God are done in truth and righteouſneſſe, Pſal. 1…1. 8. and that our God is the rocke, his worke is perfect; that all his wayes are Iudgement; a God of truth, and without iniquitie, iuſt and right he is; and that they hauehave corrupted themſelues, and it is a blot to them that they are not his Children, but are a peruerſe and crooked generation, that turne away from him for any cauſe whatſoeuer, a fooliſh and vnwiſe, Deut. 32. 4. 5. and therefore when any ſuch difficulties enter into our mindes, if we will conceiue aright thereof, we muſt not forget the Lord, nor deale falſely in his couenant, we muſt not turne our harts from him, nor our ſtepps from his wayes, Pſal. 44. 17. 18. And in all theſe actions and proceedings how ſtrange and wonderfull ſoeuer they ſeeme vntounto vsus, we muſt be dumb and not open our mouth, becauſe it is God that doth it, Pſal. 39. 10.