The Balance of the Sanctuary, Treatise · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. That there is no cauſe at all, why men ſhould make any doubt or queſtion, when they ſee many vngodly men here proſper in the world, and diuers godly men liue in pouertie and aduerſitie.
THere are two ſpecial reaſons, that moue men to become careleſſe and licentious here in the world, when they ſee and behold how it fareth, both with the godly and vngodly in this world. The firſt is, that many times they ſee, that thoſe that feare God are in great miſerie and calamitie, and the vngodly proſper and abound in wealth. This many men cannot brooke, while they are perſwaded, that it ſtandeth not with the great Maieſtie of the God-head, and the Iuſtice of God to deale in ſuch manner; and the reaſon is, becauſe they looke vponupon nothing but the outward ſhew, and conſider not the end for which God doth it; for if in the leſt degree they did but thinke and remember, that God meaneth well to the godly, and that their oppreſſions are wholeſome medicines for their ſoules, the better to prepare them for the life to come: And on the contrarie, that the proſperitie of the vngodly is like the Quale… to the children of Iſrael, that died while they were in their mouthes, then they would preſently ſee and perceiue that they hauehave no cauſe to doubt of, or to miſconſter and ſtumble at the workes of God. For to ſpeake the truth, who is he that will longer ſtumble at, or thinke it ſtrange to ſee, that God loſeth and ſlacketh the bridle to the children of the world, but tu…reth, holdeth in, reſtraineth inſtantly, and ſuffereth not his children to hauehave their wills, when hee remembreth that the Lord doth it to his children, to the end that they may become the more ſpirituall and better prepared for the kingdome of heauen: doe wee not the like in matters of leſſe importance, continually in our houſes to our children, wee ſuffer our dogs that we… breed in our houſes, to runne at libertie looſe and vntied, and hauehave no regard what they doe, nor how it fareth with them, but is it not our manner to looke narrowly to our children, to keepe them ſhort, to teach and inſtruct them; and why doe we ſo, but onelyonly to bring them vp to all vertuous actions, and for their better preferment. So that it is to a ſpeciall end, that wee hauehave ſo great a care of our children, which in no wiſe wee doe intend to our dogges, but let them runne where they liſt.
The word of God therefore aduiſeth vsus, to caſt off all doubts and feares touching the workes of God, and to rid vsus thereof, willeth vsus not to looke onelyonly vponupon the outward end of the children of men, and to conſider of nothing elſe, but the courſe of this preſent world, euen as the ſtate of the rich glutton, and of poore Lazarus, is ſet downe and declared vntounto vsus by Ieſus Chriſt himſelfe, Luk. 16. So the Apoſtle Saint Paul warneth vsus, ſaying; Remember thoſe that hauehave the rule ouer you, who hauehave ſpoken vntounto you the word of God, whoſe faith follow, conſidering the end of their conuerſation, Heb. 13. 7. And to the ſame end Saint Iames ſayth, Behold wee count them happy which indure; you hauehave heard of the patience of Iob, and hauehave ſeene the end of the Lord; for the Lord is very pittifull, and of tender mercy, Iames 5. 11.
Touching the proſperity of the vngodly, who would be grieued thereat, when wee marke and thinke vponupon their endes; they ſtand vponupon ſlipperie ground and ſoone fall downe: and then comes in the hard and heauie reckonings which they muſt make at the latter day, ſee the 49. Pſalme; What is hee that grudgeth at the good that men doe to thoſe that are condemned to die, or at the friendſhip that is ſhewed vntounto them by ſome, when they are led to execution to be broken on wheeles? or who would not chuſe to paſſe thorough a troubleſome and durtie way, to inioy a great inheritance, then thorough a faire and pleaſant way to goe to execution? doe not many honeſt houſholders, diſlike of ſwaggering companions, that dayly and hourely haunt the beſt Innes and Tauernes in the Citie, and conſume their wealth in banket after banket, as long as their credits laſt? and doe they not thinke them men of little wiſedome or conſideration? and is it not found to bee ſo when they make vp their reckonings at home in their houſes? So it ſtands with the proſperitie of the vngodly many times here in this world, they hauehave great wealth and abundance: but they ſpend vponupon their owne ſtockes, and a hard reckoning followeth after it: whereas on the contrary godly men, that in this world are kept ſhort and ſpend vponupon their fathers purſe, whether it be ſuperfluouſly or otherwiſe, as their father thinkes it good, hauehave no feare of an after reckoning, all is freely forgiuen them: Thus their ends differ much one from another. This when the Pſalmiſt conſidered, although before touching this point of the workes of God, how the vngodly proſper, and the godly liue poore and miſerably, hee was ſomewhat troubled, and muttred thereat, yet at laſt hee was perſwaded, as hee himſelfe witneſſeth, ſaying; When I thought to know this it was too painefull for mee, vntill I went into the Sanctuary of God, then vnderſtood I their end, Pſalm. 73. 16. 17.