The Balance of the Sanctuary, Treatise · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. That wee cannot meaſure the ſtate of men, in regard of God, by wealth or pouertie, by proſperitie, or aduerſitie, that befalleth them in this world.
BY all that hath beene ſaid and ſhewed before, it plainely appeareth, that in this world it fareth (for the moſt part) alike, both with the godly and vngodly: from whence it followeth vndoubtedly, and cannot be denied; that we cannot meaſure the ſtate of men, in regard of God, by that which happeneth vntounto them here on earth. Iobs friends may imagine, becauſe hee was ſo ſore plagued, that certainely hee was a very wicked man, and hated of God. And men by nature are much addicted by outward appearance, to iudge of the ſtate of a man in regard of GOD, looke touching this, Acts 28. 4. 5. 6. Luk. 13. 1. 2. Deut. 29. 19. 20. And marke wee how contrarily the blind Idolaters being of this opinion, iudged of their ſtate to God-ward in Ieremies dayes. But we will certainely (ſay they) doe whatſoeuer thing goeth foorth out of our owne mouthes, to burne incenſe to the Queene of heauen, and to poure out drinke offerings vntounto her as wee hauehave done, wee and our Fathers, our Kings and our Princes, in the Cities of Iuda, and in the ſtreets of Ieruſalem: for then we had plentie of victuals, and were well, and ſaw no euill: But ſince we … off to burne incenſe to the Queene of heauen, and … drinke offerings out vntounto her, wee hauehave wanted all things, and hauehave beene conſumed by the ſword, and by famine, Ier. 44. 17. 18. But Chriſtians muſt neither doe nor thinke ſo, elſe they ſhall often by occaſion of ſuch actions, M…ke the heartes of the righteous ſad, whom the Lord hath not made ſad, and ſtrengthen the handes of the wicked, Ezechiel 13. 22. Since that wee hauehave now ſufficiently ſhewed, that the Lord oftentimes in his anger ſendeth men proſperitie, and in his fauour aduerſitie. Muſt we, may ſome ſay, make no account at all of that which happeneth vntounto the children of men here in this world be it proſperitie or aduerſitie, but paſſe it ouer as it is, I anſwer; no, we muſt hauehave a due reſpect and regard to that which befalleth men, and marke what proſperitie or aduerſitie happeneth vntounto them, and how it fareth both with them and vsus; yet not to this end, by the exteriour accurrents of this life, to iudge what the ſtate of man is towards God: but on the contrary, by the aduerſitie or proſperitie of men, to know what we are to conceiue of the worke of God wrought amongſt men, and by the knowledge of the ſeuerall accidents of proſperitie or aduerſitie, that happen vntounto the children of men, in what manner ſoeuer they bee laid vponupon them, or receiued by them, learne to know Gods affection, intent, purpoſe, and ſpeciall marke whereat he aymeth in ſending proſperitie or aduerſitie: As for example, ſome great croſſe and tribulation befalleth a godly man, by which yet wee muſt not iudge that he himſelfe, or his cauſe is bad, but that the ſame trouble which happeneth vntounto him, is ſent for a further triall and purging of him. 1. Pet. 1. 6. 7. Tribulation alſo falleth vponupon an vngodly man, that therein hardeneth his heart towards Gods puniſhments: herevpon wee muſt conclude, that the trouble that falleth vponupon ſuch a man (as farre as we can iudge) is as it were a conſuming fire, and ſmoke of the eternall fire, 1. Sam. 2. 25. and Chapter 4. Againe, ſome godly man hath much ioy and proſperitie; this when we behold, we muſt conceiue that it is a bleſſing that God beſtoweth vponupon him, to incourage him the more to goe forward in the way of godlineſſe, Pſalme 1 18. and ſome other man that is vngodly, hath great wealth and much pleaſure, and yet hee is rather worſe and more wicked then he was before, Deut. 29. 19. Wherevpon we may conclude, that his proſperity (as farre as we can coniecture) is a meanes of fatting him for the day of ſlaughter, Ier. 12. 3.
In like manner, when the people of God ſometimes forget themſelues, touching their proceedings in their good courſe of religion; by meanes whereof, many times they doe not follow the ſame ſo earneſtly as they ſhould, and is conuenient to be done, and that as they march in battaile againſt their enemies, they are not warie, according to the counſell of the Lord, to keepe themſelues from eueryevery wicked thing, Deut. 23. 9. it happeneth that God, who is more ſpecially iealous ouer his people, and is wont to viſit their offences home in their houſes, Amos 3. 2. For that cauſe, many times ſuffereth them to be ouerthrowne in a cauſe which otherwiſe is good; as it happened twiſe to the children of Iſrael, fighting againſt the Beniamites, Iudg. 20. Now when any ſuch thing happeneth, the people of God vponupon that occaſion muſt not doubt of, or call their religion into queſtion, but they muſt looke into their own proceedings in that action touching the defence of their religion in a good cauſe, and thereby take occaſion to inquire, what thing either in generall or particular, hath beene done among them in their proceedings, that might diſpleaſe God; in regard whereof hee hath ſo croſt them, and hauing found it out, humble themſelues before God, and amend their faults. And if in that caſe, they cannot finde any thing, which they may conceiue to be the cauſe of their ouerthrow, then they muſt aſcribe the ſame vntounto Gods wonderfull prouidence, which is not to bee comprehended by vsus, but muſt by eueryevery man, with all humilitie and ſubmiſſion bee accepted and well thought of, Iob 13. 23. 24. Iob 24.
Thus the word of God teacheth vsus, how to iudge of thoſe tribulations and that proſperitie that befalleth the ſonnes of men, which if ſome worldly wiſe men would looke well into, they would not ſo vnaduiſedly ſcoffe at the actions of Gods children; who, when they hauehave had a glorious victorie ouer their enemies, therevpon conclude, not that their cauſe was good (which the other in their wrong iudgement doubt of) but that God hath graciouſly holpen them in their good cauſe; and hauing receiued any ouerthrow, thence conclude; that the Lord for their ſinnes, thereby humbleth them, and that by ſuch hard blowes he would awake and rouze them vp: not to make them imagine that their good cauſe is bad, but to mooue them to amend their ſinfull liues, that they may not thereby hinder their good cauſe, and to cauſe them in all occurrents to depend vponupon the truth, and when they proſper, to giuegive God the Lord the honour and glory, and when they are ouerthrowne and puniſhed, to aſcribe the fault thereof to themſelues: this, I ſay, no worldling would ſcoffe at, as they vnaduiſedly doe, if they had learned this infallible truth of God. Which neuertheleſſe is true, that is, that by the knowledge of the ſeuerall chances, that happen vntounto the children of men, wee muſt meaſure the meaning and intent of God, in ſending proſperitie and aduerſitie vntounto men: for it is true, that Gods children, as wee finde in the holy word of God, alwayes praiſed the Lord, when they had the victorie ouer their enemies, as Dauid ſaith; Lord, I know that thou loueſt mee, in that thou haſt not deliuered me into the handes of mine enemies; nor giuen them occaſion to triumph ouer me. Pſal. 41. 11. And againe, humbled themſelues for their ſins, when they were ouerthrowne, Lament. 3. 39. not once in regard thereof making any doubt of their religion, or imagining that Idolatry had iuſtly gotten the vpper hand, againſt the true ſeruice of God. Beſides this, we muſt further know, that the thinges of this world hauehave not their iſſue and effect, alwayes according to their owne nature and properties, but as the Lord (who ruleth them all) pleaſeth to order them. By meanes whereof it falleth out, that aduerſitie (which of it ſelfe is hurtfull) yet procureth great good to the godly, and that proſperitie (which of it ſelfe is pleaſing) doth yet bring great hurt to the vngodly. And hereby it commeth to paſſe, that all things worke together for the good of them that feare God, Rom. 8. 28. And on the other ſide, that all things worke together for the worſt to them that hate God; in regard that their mindes and conſciences alſo are vncleane and accurſed, Tit. 1. 15. Let an vngodly man be aduanced, and ſet aboue all his other neighbours; he will become proud and inſolent, and ouer-throw himſelfe thereby▪ Againe, let a godly man hauehave any tribulation befall him; hee will humble himſelfe and become better thereby; and ſo to the pure all things are pure, but vntounto them that are defiled, nothing is pure, or profitable, Tit. 1. 15. And this proceedeth from hence, that the godly on the one ſide, are a godly plant, and a heauenly branch, hauing ſo great and admirable a power in it, that the man that is godly is ſo framed by Gods grace, that whatſoeuer hapneth vntounto him, or is layd vponupon him, how troubleſome, aduerſe, hurtfull, or miſchieuous ſoeuer it be of it ſelfe by nature, is turned to the beſt vntounto him, and to his good and proſperitie; for, Godlineſſe is profitable to all things, hauing promiſes of the life that now is, and of that which is to come, 1. Tim. 4. 8. And on the other ſide, the vngodly being a plant of he Deuill, and a branch of hell, hath ſo venimous a ſtalke, and ſo poyſonfull a nature, that the man who is rooted therein, and will not be brought to leaue and abandon it, but ſtill keepeth it by him, it is certaine, that whatſoeuer happeneth vntounto him, how good, profitable, and beneficiall ſoeuer it be by nature it turneth to his hurt and deſtruction, in ſuch manner, that euen the pleaſing and ſweet ſauour thereof, is contrary vntounto him, and is with him the ſauour of death vntounto death. And whereas the godly, ſauour life euerlaſting in Chriſt, and eternall ſaluation: The vngodly ſauour nothing but death in Chriſt, and euerlaſting condemnation, 2. Cor. 2 16.
Hence it euidently appeareth, that by outward things which happen vntounto men, wee muſt not by any meanes meaſure, nor iudge their ſtate to Godward at the firſt daſh; but on the contrary by their ſtate to God-wardes iudge, what we are to conceiue of the outward thinges that happen vntounto, and fall vponupon them.
By this that hath beene ſaid, may many men learne to reforme their erronious opinions: and not thoſe only of whom we ſpake in the eleuenth Chapter, who are wont to take occaſion by their outward proſperitie, to boaſt themſelues of their actions, and are perſwaded that both they and their actions pleaſe God well, becauſe outwardly they hauehave wealth and proſperitie, whereas they ſhould not iudge their ſtate in regard of God, by their outward proſperitie, but their proſperitie by their ſtate.
But others alſo, that are perſwaded and imagine that all men, when ſoeuer any trouble or aduerſitie falleth on them, and that they are many wayes moleſted, as ſtricken ſicke on their beds, or troubled by their enemies, are wont thereupon to flatter, and ſooth vp themſelues, and to grow thereby into ſome good perſwaſion, that hereafter they ſhall fare the better for the ſame, becauſe they hauehave endured ſo much here in this world, and that it be certainely concluded thence, that they are Gods Children, & that God loueth them well, becauſe they are troubled, and much tribulation here befall them. But this is no certaine token that God liketh well of vsus, becauſe he ſendeth vsus trouble and aduerſitie, for hee doth the ſame to the vngodly, as wee hauehave alreadie declared. And therefore wee muſt not by outward things, which happen vntounto men, either our ſelues or others, iudge or cenſure our owne or their ſtate to God-ward; but on the contrary, by our ſtate to God-ward, we muſt iudge the ſtate of ſuch outward things, whether they bee ſent vntounto vsus as ſignes of Gods grace, or of his wrath.
It behooueth all thoſe then whom God ſuffereth to fall into any tribulation, or miſery, to be certainely perſwaded, that by the ſame (as the godly vſe to doe) they ought to become better and better, and to be purged and cleanſed, that doing ſo they may bee certainely perſwaded in their conſciences, that they are puniſhed by God in louelove. To which purpoſe our heartie wiſh and prayer vntounto God is, that all thoſe that beare the name of Gods people, would take occaſion by the viſitation which the Lord God ſendeth vponupon his people in theſe our dayes, to weigh well, and conſider ſeriouſly their owne preſent eſtate, and to looke diligently into themſelues, that they might find out their owne ſinnes and miſdeedes, for it is moſt certaine, that no man can hauehave any true comfort from the ground of Gods word in any tribulation, that falleth vponupon the people of God, but he who findeth himſelfe to be thereby ſo affected, that he doth not onelyonly grieue for the common miſery of Ieruſalem, but is alſo ſtirred vp to amend his owne life in whatſoeuer he findes amiſſe in himſelfe, for ſo it is written, that we ſhall then know, & be certainely perſwaded, that God puniſheth vsus out of his louelove, when by the puniſhments of God we become better, and more zealous towardes him. As many as I louelove I rebuke and chaſten, be zealous therefore and repent, Apoc: 3. 19. And this we muſt bee ſo much the more perſwaded of, for that although the Lord vſeth ſo to deale with his people, that he ſendeth them ſome reliefe, and in part eaſeth them of their troubles, when they are fallne into them, and in them call vponupon him; yet that his arme is ſtill ſtretched forth, and his wrath is not aſſwaged, vntill his people put away from them, and cleane caſt off that which diſpleaſeth and diſliketh him, and for which hee doth viſite them. Which with all our hearts wee wiſh might by eueryevery one bee well and earneſtly thought vponupon. It is not to be doubted, but that all the troubles which in our tymes hauehave fallne vponupon the people of God, hauehave had their beginning from hence, that we hauehave not ſo thankefully (as we ought to hauehave done) receiued the holy Goſpell, and the truth of Gods word. For we hauehave many tymes begun to neglect the light of Gods truth, which hath grieued the Lord, and for the ſame he hath viſited vsus at home, which wee hauehave alſo in part begun to obſerue and acknowledge, and hauehave thereupon made a ſhew as if wee would amend and reforme it, and hauehave humbled our ſelues before God with faſting & prayer, making diuers faire ſhews and promiſes, as if we meant to become better and better, and to earry our ſelues with more obedient hearts towardes God then formerly we had done. Whereupon the Lord our God, who is good and long-ſuffring towards vsus, hath againe begun to bleſſe vsus, done great things for vsus, and according to our hearts deſire filled vsus with great hope and expectation, that he would more and more lift vp our heads, and giuegive vsus many good things. But in all theſe things wee doe not once remember, or thinke on our promiſes and vowes that we made ſo ſolemnely vntounto him, both in the beginning of our troubles, and now alſo in theſe latter dayes, while we were in trouble and neceſſitie, Pſal. 68. 14. For what I pray you hath ſince that time beene amended? Who hath ſince begun to be more zealous for the honour of God? Who hath begun to put forth his hand for reformation of the notable abuſes that are common amongſt vsus, which eueryevery man noteth, which eueryevery man complaineth of, which eueryevery man diſliketh, and yet no man amendeth? and yet wee made promiſe and vowed vntounto God eueryevery man for his particular, to looke vntounto it. Now while the dayes of our faſting and humiliation laſted, and brought ſuch ſolemne power and promiſes with them, by meanes of thoſe promiſes and vowes, for a tyme we procured the threatning hand of God to hold vp, and a beginning of ſuch great matters appeared. But ſince that wee hauehave not performed thoſe promiſes made vntounto God, neyther hauehave come any thing neere vntounto the performance of them, as at this day it appeareth, what wonder is it now, when wee are not true of our word; when we ſuffer all things to run at ſix and ſeuens, and as they will, and doe not as we ſhould, begin to pay our vowes and promiſes vntounto the moſt high God, and eueryevery man to amend that which is amiſſe with him, from the particular houſe-houlder, and ſo vpward to thoſe of higheſt degree: what wonder, I ſay, now is it, that God hath begun to lift vp his threatning hand againe, and that he ſuffereth vsus to fayle of that we hoped and expected, and ſends vntounto vsus hard meſſages, that may againe warne vsus in Gods name to pay our vowes, and keepe our promiſes with God, or that els he will execute his Iudgment vponupon vsus, & thruſt vsus out of all that we hauehave, as one that is our creditor, and with long patience hath borne with vsus, whom we hauehave ſtill payd with faire words, but hauehave not once beene moued in our hearts to find the meanes to keepe our promiſes, and to moue …m to mercies, whereon notwithſtanding our ſa…etie, & well-fare ſpecially conſiſteth, yea, wholy dependeth?
Therefore once againe I ſay and wiſh with all my heart, that this may be well & carefully lookt into, for it ſtands vsus vponupon and importeth vsus much. And if that we ſhall be ſerious and earneſt therein, then all the aforeſaid proſperities of the Children of God will powerfully ouer-ſhadow vsus; and we ſhall alwayes finde that the Lord is with vsus, and that it is all in vaine for our enemies to ſeeke to deſtroy vsus; for, If the Lord be with vsus, who can hurt or harme vsus? Rom. 8. 31. Pſal. 27. 1, 2.