A Posing Question Put by the Wise Man, Treatise · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
NOw for the Confirmation of the Propoſition.
I ſhall confirm it by
1. Scripture.
2. Reaſon
1. By Scripture. So we may gather, from Scripture, two things, that may ſerve to aſſert the truth of this Propoſition.
1. Scripture acquaints us with what Diſappointments men have met with in thoſe wayes, wherein they have dreamt of nothing but good, and benefit, and advantage to themſelves. How, many have Ruin'd themſelves, by that by which they thought to have Rais'd themſelves. Scripture gives us many Inſtances in this kind, of thoſe whoſe Table hath been their Snare; and what they thought ſhould have been for their Welfare, hath become their Trap, Pſal. 69. 22. And this ſhews how men have been miſtaken in what is good for them. The Scripture furniſheth us with many Inſtances; as thoſe of Ahab, in compaſſing Naboths Vineyard. Gehezi, in getting the Talents of Silver from Naaman. Achan, in ſtealing the Wedge of Gold, and the Babyloniſh Garment. Haman, in ſcrewing himſelf into the Favour and Affection of his Prince. Iſrael, in asking a King; and in asking Quails. Scripture ſhews us how theſe were miſtaken about what was good for them. We may ſay of them, this, That, had they known what had been good for them, they would not have done what they did. Solomon, in Eccleſ. 5. 13. ſpeaks of an Evil that he had ſeen under the Sun, viz. Riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. Surely, if the owners had not thought they had been for their good, they would not have laid them up.
2. Scripture acquaints us with this; That there have been many, that, contrary to expectation, have found thoſe things good for them that they thought evil, and looked on them as Evils. As it tells us of many, that found that to be evil to them, that they thought to be good for them; ſo of many, that have found that to be good for them, that they thought to have been evil. Scripture furniſheth us with Inſtances in this particular. And here time would fail me to tell you
1. Of Job, who looked upon himſelf, as the moſt Miſerable man in the World; That God had ſet him as a Mark to ſhoot at; as if God would make ſport with him. He tells you how God wrote bitter things againſt him; Yet we ſee, all was for his good. And ſo we ſee Jam. 5. 15. what end God made with him: ſo that we ſee by that, that Job was miſtaken about his Afflictions.
2. David, Pſal. 119. 71. confeſſeth, It is good for me that I have been Afflicted. Conſider, time was, when David did not think ſo. Time was when David complained of them. But ſee, he was afterwards of another mind, and tells us, It was good for him that he was afflicted. In Pſal. 73. (if he were the Penman of it) you find there was a time when he was envious at the proſperity of the Wicked, and thought them the happieſt men; and he was troubled at the adverſity of the Godly, and thought them the moſt miſerable men; but afterwards he confeſſeth his ignorance and miſtake in that particular.
To cloſe up this: If you look upon Heb. 12. you ſhall find the Apoſtle ſpeaking to Chriſtians under Affliction; and endeavours to convince them of their miſtake about Afflictions, and that they looked upon that as evil which was for their good. You ſhall find, this is the ſcope of the Apoſtle in the beginning of that Chapter. And then, verſ. 7. 8. 9. He tells them they are Chaſtiſements, and that they bring forth the quiet fruit of Righteouſneſs; q. d. When you come to taſte the fruit of theſe Afflictions, you will be of another minde: You will find, contrary to your expectation, that good for you that you thought evil. You muſt judge of the Tree by the Fruit; and when you come to taſte the Fruit of Afflictions, you will ſay, You were miſtaken in the Tree.
Thus for the Confirmation by Scripture.
2. We come to ſhew the Grounds and Reaſons of the Propoſition, Why no man infallibly knows what is good for man in this life.
So there is
1. Some Reaſon of it, in Reſpect of God.
2. Some reaſons of it, in reſpect of Man.
1. The Reaſon of it in Reſpect of God is this: Becauſe God hath hid this knowledge from man, and therefore, no man knoweth what is good for man in this life.
And if any ask, For what reaſon God hath hid this knowledg from man? I Anſwer.
1. God hath done it to maintain his own Prerogative. It onelyonly belongs to him who made the creature to know what is good for the creature. It belongs only to him who hath given life to man, to know what is good for a man in this life. He knows man beſt, and knows beſt what is good for man, whether Riches or Poverty; Quietneſs or Trouble; Health or Sickneſs; Life or Death. This knowledg is too high and excellent for man. It is not for man to know this, which God hath put in his own Power.
2. God doth it to keep man in a ſtate of Dependance on him, and Submiſſion to him; That man may know at whoſe finding he is, and at whoſe diſpoſing, (viz.) of that God, who onelyonly knows what is good for man. God doth it, to take the creature off from being his own Carver. He will have man look to Him, and ſeek to Him, for what is good for him. God hath hid this knowledge from man, that man may pray both for the good things, and againſt the evills, of this life, with ſubmiſſion to the will of God. Lord, I know not what is good, or what is evill for me in this life; and therefore I leave my ſelf to thee; and in thoſe things ſubmit my ſelf to thee: Thou ſhalt Diſpoſe of me, Thou ſhalt Carve for me, Thou ſhalt Guide me by thy Counſel, who onelyonly knowest what is good or evill for me in this life; Thou ſhalt chuſe my condition for me.
3. God hides this knowledge from man, to magnify and make the Glory of his Wiſdom and Power known, in working contrary to the apprehenſions, hopes, and expectations of man.
So the Wiſdom and Power of God ſhewes it ſelf.
1. In a way of Juſtice, turning good into evill.
2. In a way of Mercy, turning evill into good.
1. He ſhewes his Wiſdom and Power in a way of Juſtice, cauſing what was apprehended by men as good for them, to become evil to them, contrary to their hopes and expectations. Thus the Lord cauſeth ſome mens Tables to become their Snare; and what they thought to have bin for their welfare, to be their Trap. Thus the Lord lets ſome men lay up Riches for their hurt, and ſuffers them to get Honour to their ſhame. There is an expreſſion in Mal. 2. 2. I will curſe your Bleſſings. God can make ſeeming bleſſings to become Curſes. And in this his Wiſdom and Power are Gloriouſly ſeen. God can let a man think he hath a good thing in his hand, and turn it into an evill. And hence it is, ſome have curſed their Riches, and Honour, and worldly Greatneſs, as Charles the fift, and Philip the Second of Spain did.
2. He ſhewes his Wiſdom and Power in a way of Mercy, in turning ſeeming evills into good. That when a man thinks it to be an evill, God turns it to good, contrary to a mans apprehenſion, hope, and expectation. Thus, as he can turn the Rod into a Serpent, ſo he can turn the Serpent into a Rod: He can bring good out of evill, and light out of darkneſſe. As he can turn a ſeeming bleſſing into a curſe, ſo he can turn a ſeeming curſe into a bleſſing. When Balack would have curſed Iſrael, Moſes tells them, Deut. 23. 5. God turned it into a Bleſſing. Joſephs brethren intended evil againſt him, but God turned it into good, Gen. 50. 20. And upon this account it is, that God hides the knowledg of what is good for a man in this life from man, that he may have a freedom and liberty of declaring his Wiſdom and Power when he pleaſe, both in turning evill into good, and good into evill, contrary to mans apprehenſions, hopes, and expectations.
4. God hath hid this knowledg from man, to keep man humble in the midſt of his greateſt outward enjoyments. That the great man may not glory in his greatneſs, and that the rich man may not glory in his riches; ſince he knows not whether they are good for him. When a man conſiders this with himſelf, I have Honour, but I know not whether it be for my good; I have Riches, but I know not whether it be for my good: how humble ſhould the conſideration of this make a man in the midſt of theſe enjoyments? When he conſiders, Honour hath been many a mans Snare; Riches, and outward proſperity have been many a mans Trap, and I know not but they may be ſo to me: how humble ſhould this keep a man, when he knoweth not whether they are for his good? God doth it to keep man from boaſting of his enjoyments, Prov. 27. 1. Boast not thy ſelf of to Morrow (ſaith Solomon:) for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. So men muſt not boaſt of their Wealth or Honour, ſince they know not what they may bring forth. Thus a man ſhould reaſon with himſelf; Why ſhould I be proud of thoſe things which have proved evill to ſome, and I know not but they may be ſo to me?
5. God hath hid this knowledge from man, To make man patient in affliction, and to make him hope in the worſt condition: when a man conſiders thus with himſelf, Alas I know not what is good for me in this life: For ought I know, theſe afflictions are good for me; and what reaſon have I then to be impatient under them? why ſhould I fret and murmur at theſe diſpenſations? Do I know what theſe Croſſes and Afflictions may bring forth? Do I know, but that good may lie in the womb of them? The Tree may ſeem bitter, yet the Fruit may be Sweet. The Roſe is Sweet, yet the Tree that bears it, is Thorny. I know not, what Grapes may grow upon theſe Thorns, and what Figs upon theſe Thiſtles. When Shimei curſed David, what ſaid David? 2 Sam. 16. 12. It may be the Lord will do me good for this. God not onelyonly knows how to do his people good, but how to do them good by ſeeming evills. It is good for me (ſaith David) that I have been Afflicted. Pſal. 119.
6. God hath hid this knowledge from man, To keep men from judging and cenſuring one another. To keep the Rich from deſpiſing the poor, and to keep the poor from envying the Rich. If a man knew, that Riches were good for a man in this life, and that Poverty were evill for a man; then would Rich men look upon themſelves as the onelyonly bleſſed men, and judge of the poor as the only miſerable men. So that, as the Apoſtle ſaith of eating, Rom. 14. 3. Let not him that eateth not, judge him that eateth; and let not him that eateth, deſpiſe him that eateth not; So will the Lord have it to be among men, in this caſe: He will not have the Rich and Great Ones of the world to deſpiſe the poor; neither will he have the poor, and ſuch as are in a low condition, to envy the Rich. And, to prevent this, the Lord hath hid this knowledg from man, of what is good or evill for him in this life. Thou, o Rich man, knoweſt not but that thy riches may be for thy hurt, Why ſhouldſt thou then deſpiſe the poor? And what knoweſt thou, O poor man, but thy poverty may be for thy good; and why then ſhouldſt thou envy the Rich? This is the diſeaſe to which Rich and Poor are ſubject; The Rich are apt to deſpiſe the poor, Jam. 2. 6. And the poor are apt to envy the Rich, Pſal. 37. 1. And the Lord, for the curing of this diſeaſe in both, hath hid this knowledge from man.
7. God hath hid this knowledg from man, To let man ſee that the things of this life are not the things (viz.) the only things and the main things, that a man ſhould look after. He doth it to let man know, that outward evils are not evils to be feared, for they may be for good: And that outward good things, are not the onelyonly good things to be ſought after; for they may be for a mans hurt. And ſo the reaſon why God hides this knowledg from man of knowing what is good or evill for man in this life, is, That he may eſpecially ſeek after thoſe things that are good, and fly from thoſe evils that have relation to another life. Thoſe things that we call good, viz. things of this life, are but things changeably good; they are things may become evil to a man, and therefore not the only good things to be ſought after; And thoſe things, that we call evil, are but changeably evil, ſuch evils as may be for good; and therefore not the only evils to be fled from. There are good things that are unchangeably good, which are good for a man in relation to another life, and theſe are the things mainly to be ſought after. And there are evils that are unchangeably evil, which are evil for a man in relation to another life; and thoſe are the evils that are moſt to be feared and fled from.
8. God hath hid this knowledg from man, To keep man in a preparation for all conditions: That ſince he knows not what is good for man in this life, he may be prepared for what God ſeeth good for him; that he may be fitted for all the diſpenſations and purpoſes of God concerning him. Solomon ſayeth Prov. 27. 1. Thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. And why hath God hidden that knowledg from man, but that a man may be prepared for what ever a day ſhall bring forth, whether good or evil, mercies or miſeries, life or death. Solomon in Eccleſ. 7. 14. ſpeaking of proſperity and adverſity, ſaith, God hath ſet them, the one over against the other, that Man may find out nothing after him. There is Chequer-work in the Diſpenſations of God toward man in this life. There is Black and White; There are Fair and Foul, Sunſhine and Rainy days Intermingled; There is Proſperity and Adverſity, changes of Conditions. And mark, God hath ſet the one over againſt the other, there is Adverſity, oppoſite to Proſperity; there is a Vally, over againſt a Hill. And ſee for what end? That Man may find out nothing after him. What is the meaning of that? why this, That man ſhould not know what ſhall come afterwards, or what ſhall come next, whether Proſperity or Adverſity, that so he may be prepared for both. When God hath ſet a man upon a Mountain of Proſperity, he cannot aſſure himſelf he ſhall alwayes ſtand there; for there is the Valley of Adverſity ſet over againſt that Mountain, and he knoweth not how ſoon he may be in it. And ſo, ſince he knows not what may be next, God will have him keep himſelf in a preparation for all conditions. Phil. 4. 11. The Apoſtle ſaith, I have learned to be full, and to be hungry; to abound, and to want. As if he ſhould ſay, I am prepared for what God ſees good for me; if he ſee it good for me to be in a low condition, to be hungry and to want, I am prepared for it, I am prepared for all conditions. And this is one reaſon, why God hath hid this Knowledg from man, that man may be prepared for all Conditions. There is an expreſſion in Eccleſ. 8. 7. Man knoweth not, what ſhall be. And what is the reaſon that man knows not what ſhall be? why this, That man may be prepared for what ever ſhall be.
9. God hath hid this knowledg from man, To ſhew man the vanity of his thoughts, and to let man ſee how his thoughts differ from the thoughts of God. As the Lord ſaith in another caſe, Esa. 55. 8. My Thoughts are not as your thoughts. So the Lord will have men know, that his thoughts and mans thoughts, are not the ſame in reſpect of what is good or evill for a man in this life. God doth it to ſhew man his thoughts and the vanity of them. Man thinks that Riches and Honour are good for him in this life, and God lets him ſee how he is miſtaken in his thoughts, by their becoming evil to him; And man thinks Afflictions are evil for him in this life, and God lets man ſee how he is miſtaken in his thoughts, by turning them to good. Thus God ſhews man the miſtake and vanity of his thoughts, in reſpect of what is good or evil for man in this life. And ſo the Lord diſcovers to man the vanity of his thoughts in this particular, in three things.
1. In thinking thoſe happy, that enjoy the good things of this life; when alas, poor man knoweth not but theſe things are evil for him. Thus the Lord in turning mens Tables into Snares, ſhewes His Thoughts are not as man's. We read of ſome, Mal. 3. 15. that call'd the Proud, Happy: They thought wicked men were the happieſt men; But God tells them he would have a time to ſhew them the vanity of their thoughts, v. laſt. Then ſhall ye return, and diſcern between the Righteous and the Wicked. As if he ſhould ſay, You ſhall ſee, My Thoughts were not as your thoughts. Men are ready to think, the Rich man the happy man, and the Great man the happy man. And thus he diſcovers to man the vanity of his thoughts, and to let them know, that they know not the thoughts of the Lord. As the expreſſion is, Micah 4. 12. But they know not the Thoughts of the Lord.
2. In his thinking them the only miſerable men that are afflicted; it is uſual with men to do ſo: And God by hiding from man what is good for man in this life, diſcovers to man the vanity of thoſe thoughts. Thus, by making afflictions good for a man, they come to ſee they were miſtaken in their thoughts, and find that Gods thoughts were not as their thoughts. God in this, gives man to ſee his folly in giving a judgment of thoſe things he knows not. And to let man ſee, that while he profeſſeth himſelf wiſe, he becomes a fool, Rom. 1. 22 That he is miſtaken about the intentions of God, ſince what he apprehended evil, was by God intended for good. God by this lets men ſee how much their apprehenſions and His intentions differ. How hath the Lord brought men to acknowledg their folly in this particular. Thus he that was the Penman of Pſal. 73. tells you at verſ. 22. So fooliſh was I and Ignorant!
3. In his judging of the intentions of Gods heart, by the diſpenſations and operations of His hand; And for this reaſon God hath hid this knowledge from man, to ſhew man the vanity of his thoughts, and his judgings, in that particular. Though Gods heart and hand go together, yet not alwayes ſo as men imagine. Men think, where there is a loving heart, there ſhould be a bleſſing hand; and where there is an afflicting hand, there ſhould be an hating heart. God carryeth things in a myſtery; But God will give man to know, he underſtands not that myſtery. Man is ready to think, God intendeth good to that man to whom he diſpenſeth good things, (I mean) things temporally good; and that he intendeth evil to that man, to whom he diſpenſeth things temporally Evil. Now the Lord by hiding this knowledg from man, will let man ſee how he is miſtaken in theſe thoughts, and will let him know, that, with a loving heart, there may go an afflicting hand; and with an hating heart, an hand that is ſeemingly a bleſſing hand; That there may be good in his intention, when there may be ſeeming evil in his Diſpenſation. When God Afflicts, and Chaſtiſeth, and Corrects, Who would think there were good in His Intention? and yet, Heb. 12. 10. He chasteneth us for our profit. Rev. 3. 19. As many as I love, I Rebuke and Chasten. Remember that, Eccleſ. 9. 1. No man knowes love or hatred by what is before him; he knoweth not the Intentions of God by his Diſpenſations; he knoweth not Gods Heart by Gods Hand.
And thus for the Ground in General, Why God hath hid the Knowledg of what is Good or Evil for a man in this life.