The Balance of the Sanctuary, Treatise · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII. Of the diligent obſeruation of all Gods workes, among the Children of men, needfull for the drawing of ſpirituall profit out of Gods workes among vsus.
THe ſecond thing that is needfull and requiſite hereunto, that out of Gods works done among the Children of men, we may more & more learne the feare of God and godlineſſe, is that we ſhould narrowly marke & conſider of all ſuch his works. If any man though well ſeene and learned in that which God himſelfe witneſſeth vntounto vsus in his word, that he intendeth to doe among the Children of men touching the gouerning of the world, ſhould withdraw himſelfe, like an Hermite into ſome ſolitary place of this world, where hee …ould ſee no man, nor hauehave the company of any, or ſhould ſhut himſelfe vp whole dayes, weekes, and moneths in his ſtudie, ſtill poaring vponupon his Books, or if he were ſo continually taken vp with the cares of this world, that with blind eyes hee ſhould looke into that which is done and hapneth in the world among the ſonnes of men, ſuch a man notwithſtanding all the knowledge that he could hauehave of Gods word, could draw no fruit, nor comfort, out of the workes of God done among the Children of men.
It is neceſſary therefore, for men narrowly to marke what is done, and hapneth in the place where they dwell and abide, as namely, how it fareth with the good and the bad, as well in generall as in particular, when they are ſound in the way of righteouſneſſe or wickedneſſe, as they are in proſperitie or aduerſitie, how both the one and the other behaue themſelues therein, and how they liue, what they doe, what their vpriſing, going forth, and proceedings are; all this men muſt warily and narrowly note, in the places where they liue; as alſo, the condition, conuerſation, employments, bleſſings, puniſhments, ſickneſſes, diſeaſes, death and ends of the Children of men, and conſider thereof; for there is no working, no proceeding, nor any thing that is done in this life touching proſperity or aduerſity, from the which a Chriſtian man, like a Bee, may not draw ſome good fruit. That man therefore that hath any iudgement, muſt note and marke all things in ſuch manner, that from day to day hee may bee more and more inſtructed, and become wiſer: and to that end the Pſalmiſt ſayth, That it is a wiſe mans worke to make all theſe things, that he may vnderſtand the louing kindneſſe of the Lord, Pſal. 107. 43. And Salomon ſheweth vsus that it was his practiſe to conſider all things, euen vntounto the field of the ſlothfull, and to that end ſayth; I went by the field of the ſlothfull, and by the vineyard of the man voyde of vnderſtanding, and loe, it was all growne ouer with thornes, and nettles had couered the face thereof; and the ſtone wall thereof was broken downe: then I ſaw and conſidered it well, I looked vponupon it, and receiued inſtruction, Pro. 24. 30. 31. 32. But eſpecially, it concerneth a Chriſtian, narrowly to note and marke Gods proceedings, and dealings with and concerning himſelfe, and how it fareth with him in the courſe of his life, whether hee followeth Gods will and Commandements, or is careleſſe thereof. And we muſt eueryevery one of vsus particularly conſider, how ioyfull and good a thing it is, to behold a childe of God haunt Gods houſe, to be releaſed and freed from the dulneſſe of his peruerſe nature, and from the gouernment of ſinne and Sathan, to be ſhrowded vnderunder Gods wings, and to hauehave him for his protection and defence, and how gratiouſly he then dealeth with vsus when we ſo doe, preſerueth vsus from a thouſand burdens of heauie and grieuous ſinnes, whereunto otherwiſe we were wholly addicted, and would eaſily hauehave fallen into, how comfortably he maketh vsus to grow vp and encreaſe in knowledge and grace for the more aſſurance of his fauour towardes vsus, and of our eternall ſaluation. And wee muſt yet narrowly and ſpecially marke and conſider on the one ſide, What bleſſing, what comfort, and what peace wee hauehave found for our ſoules in all occurrents of proſperitie or aduerſitie, as long as wee ſerued God, and that our hearts were not turned backe, neither did our ſtepps decline from his way, Pſal. 44. 18. Ier. 6. 16. And on the other ſide, into what troubles, griefes, perplexities, diſquietneſſe of Conſcience, diſtruſt, and feares we hauehave fallen, when by any temptations, we fell from the Lord our God, and how after our fall when wee truely conſidered the ſame, and humbled our ſelues before the Lord our God, and againe turned vntounto him with true repentance, with all our hearts, and a true deſire to ſerue him, we were againe by him receiued into grace, and reſtored into our former bleſſed, and comfortable ſtate, as the ſame is at large notably ſet downe vntounto vsus in the ſtory of the prodigall child.
Thus eueryevery one of vsus muſt particularly enter into the Cloſet of his owne Conſcience, and well & narrowly marke in what proceedings we hauehave beene beſt furthered and thruſt forward to a ſpirituall life, which is the ſpeciall marke that wee ſhould ayme at, and what comfort we hauehave thereby receiued and therein found for our ſoules, that we may with the Church of God ſay, when wee hauehave forſaken our God and gone aſtray, I will goe and returne to my firſt husband againe: for then it was better with me then now, Hoſ. 2. 7.