The Balance of the Sanctuary, Treatise · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Shewing diuers ſeuerall things, which the Lord hath opened vntounto vsus in his Word, touching his good pleaſure and dealings with the Children of men here on earth, neceſſary to put out of our mindes all doubts concerning the workes of God, and to ſtrengthen them in the contrary effects.
FIrſt, and before all other things, God in his word openeth vntounto vsus, That he loueth men freely as they are men, Titus 3. 4. Which he witneſſeth, that he doth by being the Sauiour of all men, 1 Tym. 4. 10. Therefore alſo the Pſalmiſt witneſſeth, that God preſerueth both man and beaſt, Pſal. 36. 6. And Ieſus Chriſt himſelfe ſayth, that God maketh his Sunne to riſe on the euill, and on the good, and ſendeth rayne on the iuſt and on the vniuſt, Math. 5. 45. When wee ſee therefore that the wrath of God is reuealed from heauen, againſt all vngodlineſſe and vnrighteouſneſſe of men, Rom. 1. 18. we may thereupon certainely conclude, That there is ſomething wanting in men, and that for many cauſes man deſerueth puniſhment for ſin, which God diſliketh, Rom. 3. 23. and thereby we may further learne, that ſinne is the mother of all miſeries, and that there is nothing in the world which we ſhould with more care & caution, hate, ſhun, and abhor, then ſinne, as the onelyonly thing that moueth our Creator to diſlike of vsus, and maketh all vsus that are his creatures abhominable in his ſight.
Secondly, God in his word ſheweth vsus, that he hath a care of thoſe that feare him, and of ſuch as are godly; and ſeeketh to do them good, but how any of vsus are made godly and righteous, all of vsus by nature being wicked and loſt ſheepe, Rom. 4. 3. Epheſ. 2. 5. Is not at this time to be ſpoken of; and on the contrarie, that he hateth the vngodly, and powreth out his wrath and indignation vponupon them. The eyes of the Lord are vponupon the righteous, and his eares are open to their cry; The face of the Lord is againſt them that doe euill, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth, Pſal. 34. 15. 16. which he ſayth he will do when he thinketh good, when the dayes of viſitation, and of recompence are come, Hoſ. 9. 7. Exod. 32. 34. Then he will wretchedly deſtroy thoſe wicked men, Mat. 21. 41. And on the contrary, when the righteous call, the Lord heareth and deliuereth them out of all their trouble, Pſal. 18. 27. Thereby vnderſtanding, that hee deliuereth them, by taking them like a wiſe workeman, out of the furnace of aduerſitie, when they are ſufficiently purified and clenſed; That is, in the time of need, Heb. 4. 16.
From whence it followeth without contradiction, in regard that God is ſo diuerſely affected towards the godly and vngodly man, that in that reſpect, when he ſendeth one and the like proſperitie and aduerſitie, both on the godly and vngodly, hee doth it not for one ſelfe ſame intent, nor to one end. That which God himſelfe witneſſeth vntounto vsus, on the one ſide, that whatſoeuer tribulation or miſery hee ſendeth to the godly man, it is for his good and great benefit, yea euen the croſſes themſelues are ſo; for God inlighteneth their darkeneſſe, Pſalm. 18. 28▪ and ſo it falleth out, That all things worke for the beſt to them that louelove God, Rom. 8. 28. So that the troubles of the godly, are vntounto them as an entrie into life euerlaſting, an earneſt penny, and as it were the firſt fruites of heauenly ioyes, Pſal. 23. 6. As alſo the croſſes of the godly, are vntounto them as a precious medicine to heale their ſoules, and a true meanes to prepare the way for them to enter into the kingdome of heauen, Acts 14. 22. And in this manner all things are a bleſſing to the godly; For godlineſſe is profitable vntounto all things, hauing the promiſes of this life that now is, and of that which is to come, 1. Tim. 4. 8.
On the other ſide, whatſoeuer the vngodly indure, it is altogether a curſe vntounto them, for God carſeth their bleſsings, Matt. 2. 2. So that whether it bee proſperitie or aduerſitie, it happeneth vntounto them, it falleth out amiſſe with them: for all things are vncleane vntounto them; becauſe their mindes and conſciences are vncleane, Tit. 1. 14 Deut. 8. 15. The aduerſity then of the vngodly is a feeling of, & a preparatiue to euerlaſting condemnation, an earneſt penny, and the firſt fruits of the paines of hell, Iud. 5. 7. and their proſperitie is like a poyſoned drinke vntounto them, for by their wickednes, the more they abuſe their proſperitie, the more they ſpoyle their owne ſoules, and ſo it become a powerfull meanes to carrie them vntounto hell, and to the kingdome of darkeneſſe, Apcc. 18. 7. This God openeth vntounto vsus plainly in his word, whereby wee may openly learne and vnderſtand that the ſtate of the vngodly, whether it bee aduerſitie or proſperitie, is altogether miſerable; and on the contrarie, that the aduerſitie or proſperitie of the godly, is a happines vntounto them. For it is moſt certain, that if the vngodly man doth not in time repent and amend his life, at the laſt hee ſhall bee ſure of after condemnation, and the godly man of euerlaſting ioy and felicitie, as wee hauehave a manifeſt example thereof in the ſtate of the rich man, and of poore Lazarus, Luk. 16. 19. And who ſeeth not, that the rich man for all his wealth and worldly proſperitie, was an accurſed wretch, and that poore Lazarus in his greateſt miſerie was happie and bleſſed? what man is hee, that would not rather chooſe, looking into the end of them both, to liue in this world in the ſtate of poore Lazarus, then in that of the rich glutton?
So you ſee, that from theſe different affections of God, both vntounto the godly and the vngodly, which hee hath ſhewed vntounto vsus in his word, and by their laſt ends which thereupon enſue, the grounds of the hope and comfort that the godly hauehave and receiue in the midſt of their aduerſitie and troubles: And the grounds of the feares and miſeries, which the vngodly are like to fall vntounto, whiles they poſſeſſe worldly proſperity and pleaſure. But hearken yet further, what the Lord himſelfe ſaith vntounto his ſeruants and meſſengers touching them both: Say vntounto the righteous that it ſhall bee well with him, for they ſhall eate the fruite of their doings: Woe vntounto the wicked it ſhall bee ill with him, for the reward of his handes ſhall be giuen him, Eſa. 3. 10. 11. Now if wee conſider this well, and take good heed, and earneſtly marke the end, both of the godly and of the vngodly, we ſhall be throughly perſwaded, from the doubtfull conceite that wee hauehave in our mindes, touching the workes of God done here vponupon earth among men, when we oftentimes behold and ſee the vngodly to proſper ſo much in this world, and the godly liue in pouertie and aduerſitie, which for that it is a matter of great importance, in the next Chapter I will more at large open the ſame vntounto you.