Spiritual Refining, Religious treatise · Section 9 · Sermon 73
SERMON LXXIII.
Of Gods framing and deviſing evill of Calamities, That men might turn from their evill doings; Alſo what Gods framing and deviſing evill implies; And why Judgements and afflictions which are the good effects of Gods Juſtice, Wiſdome, and Power, are called evil.
JER. 18. 11.
Thus ſaith the, Behold, I frame evil againſt you, and deviſe a device againſt you, return ye now every one from his evil way, &c.
IN the former part of this Chapter, you have an injunction laid by God on Jeremiah, and the execution of it. The injunction and execution, is in going down to the Potters houſe, and beholding a work upon the wheels which was marred, the Potter made it another veſſel, as it ſeemed good to him. This was a Type, or outward viſible ſign, in a lively and ocular manner to repreſent the power, Soveraignty, and Omnipotency of God, in reſpect of all Kingdomes and States, and more particularly of that of Iſrael. Every Kingdom is but as the Potters unformed and …ude clay; God is the Potter, and he can eaſily make it on a ſuddain a veſſel of honour, or diſhonour: He can eaſily make it, and then break it in pieces again. This is the meaning of that Type, as appeareth by verſes, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Now my Text is a concluſion, or inference from this Type explained, wherein is p…rtly information, and partly exhortation; onelyonly to make theſe the more prevalent, you may obſerve Jeremiahs Commiſſion, given him by God himſelf, which ſhould make him bold and couragious, Go to, ſpeak to the men of Judah, &c. 2. The ſubject to whom he muſt perform this embaſſage, in the Hebrew, To the men of Judah and Jeruſalem, to every man; which denoteth the univerſal and general corruption that was on every man. This coming from God ought to be received by him with all fear, reverence, and ſubmiſſion. The matter of his Commiſſion is partly to inſtruct, and partly to exhort, as you heard. To inſtruct, and that is in the beginning of the 8. verſe; Behold, I frame evill againſt you, and deviſe devices againſt you; wherein is the efficient cauſe, 1. God: Our Calamities and Judgements come not by chance, or by inferiour inſtruments ouely, but God is the principal agent: And it is his ſword, his famine, his plague, his War, becauſe arrows ſhot out of his quiver. 2. The manner of his efficiency, or cauſality, He frames it; a Metaphor alluding to the Potter ſpoken of before. This Metaphor is plainly expreſſed, deviſing a device: How much is obſervable in this you ſhal hear af…terwards. 3. There is the effect, which is called Evill. There is a twofold evil, an evil of ſin, and an evil of puniſhment: This latter is here ſpoken of, as being the effect of the former; why afflictons are called evil, is anon to be ſpoken to. The ſecond general part of his Commiſſion is exhortation, wherein is the duty, Return yee. 2. The time, now, Return ye now. 3. The term from which, of their motion, 1. Particularly, Every one from his evill way. 2. Generally, And from your evil doings, which is more poſitively, and affirmatively urged; Make your waies and doings good. Laſtly, you have the peoples incorrigibleneſſe, and obſtinateneſſe notwithſtanding, and they ſaid, There is no hope, but we will walk after the devices of our hearts. You will perceive that the excellent matter to be derived from this Text, will like the widows oyl, or our Saviours bread, multiply exceedingly in the uſe and ſpending of it. But that I may frame a body, and not a monſter of diſcourſe, I ſhall put my ſelf in a methodical way. And firſt I ſhall treat of the information, which is Gods forming, and preparing of judgements for this end, to make men turn to God; ſo that not onelyonly the Miniſtrie, but all Gods Chaſtiſements, whether publique or perſonal, are for this end, to turn us unto God from our evil waies.
Obſ. God doth frame and prepare evill, calamities, and deſolations, that ſo wicked Obſ.men may turn from their evill doings.
God brings his evil (which is indeed a good act of Juſtice) that we may part from our evil. The ſame Hebrew word is uſed for the evil we do, and the evil God doth, though they differ exceedingly; ſo that we ſee God preacheth not only by his word, but by his works. His turnings of a Kingdome by Wars and others judgements, is to cauſe our turnings: God removeth a peoples peace, mercies, and externall good things, that they might remove far from them all their evil things. To open this Doctrine, let us conſider theſe particulars,
1. What is implied in Gods framing and deviſing of evil.
2. Why Calamities are called evil, ſeeing they are the good effects of his Juſtice Wiſdom, and Power.
3. How converſion is intended by all theſe, and why.
For the firſt, Gods framing of his judgements hath theſe obſervable particulars contained in it.
Firſt, That our miſeries and calamities come not by chance, or peradventure, they What is implied in Gods framing or deviſing of evil. 1.riſe not out of the dust: We are not to blame inſtruments; but they all come from Gods hand. The Arrow falls not of it ſelf, or by accident, but as it is directed by the Archer: a piece of clay is not of it ſelf made into ſuch a ſhape and form; but it is as the Potter pleaſeth. The ſtone of it ſelf pierced not into Goliahs head and killed him, but as with skill and power flung by David; ſo that when it is ſaid, God frameth evil, this ſhould teach us, That there is no evil of puniſhment in the land, but he doth it. The Evangeliſt calls diſeaſes foreign, Strokes, becauſe they come from Gods hand. Now this is a great matter; for ſuch is mans Atheiſm, and prophane ſecurity, that he conceiveth of God, as keeping himſelf within the circle of heaven, and not acting and governing the world by his providence here below. The Church was better taught, when in her Captivity and other judgements, ſhee makes her moans, but ſtill looks over all inſtruments to God, Why haſt thou, O God, caſt us off? and why art thou angry with us? Pſal. 74. 1. Job alſo was better taught when he conſiders, not the Sabeans, but God ſpoyling him of all his comforts, The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken, Job. 1. …t hath been the great ſin of England in judgements upon her, that ſhe hath cried out of inſtruments; ſome lay all the blame on oneſide, and ſome on another ſide; but the anger and juſt diſpleaſure of God for our ſins hath not been acknowledged.
Secondly, This phraſe, to frame evil, ſuppoſeth Gods Soveraignty, and omnipotent power over all people. He can as eaſily deſtroy a flouriſhing happy Kingdom, as the potter can mar his veſſel on the wheels, Iſa. 41. how excellently is God deſcribed in his majeſty and greatneſs, holding all the world in his hand, Ut homo nidum, as Tertullian, as a man doth a birds neſt; yea, all the nations of the world are but a drop, but as ſmall duſt, as nothing, yea leſs then nothing: Oh what little cauſe have men to truſt in greatneſs, power, forces, fenced cities and ſtrong places, when they are but as ſo much duſt, when God breatheth on them! and it is as impoſſible for any earthly power or greatneſs to ſubſiſt and keep from ruine, when God is angry, as duſt to lie ſtill in the air, when a ſtormy wind doth ariſe: Well then might Jeremy cry out, Jer. 10. Who would not fear thee, O King of the Nations? Let us not then account any thing great but God; we are clay, and he is the potter: And as it may diſcourage, when we are a ſinful people, though overſlowing in all external mercies; ſo it may incourage a people when converted, though in a deſolate confuſion, for God can make this rude clay, a glorious veſſel of honor; he can make dry bones to become living men: Here is his Soveraignty extolled in this phraſe.
Thirdly, It argueth, that God can ſuddenly and quickly bring judgements upon men: Gods wonderful works of his wrath, are not onelyonly ſeen in the matter he 3.doth, but alſo in the manner: On a ſudden, in a moment calamities riſe before any man thought or looked for them; even as the Church ſaith, When he turned their captivity, they were as men in a dream, Pſal. 126. 1. ſo when he brings their captivity alſo: Hence you have the expreſſion in this Chapter, At what inſtant I ſpeak to a land to pull it down, or build it up: He can do thoſe things in an inſtant, which humane power could not produce in many years. I create light and darkneſs, Creatio fit in inſtanti they ſay; God makes the deluge of his wrath to overflow in an inſtant: Thus he overthrew Sodom and Gomorrha on a ſudden; and that wonderful work of God, in bringing dead bodies out of the grave to appear before his Tribunal, will be in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, 1 Cor. 15. 52. ſo that when God is ſaid to frame evil againſt a people, it implieth, that he can bring this in a moment, on a ſudden, before men think it poſſible. How often doth the Prophet tell them, That their miſeries ſhall come upon them as travel upon a woman with childe: Oh how ſhould this make every wicked man ſpeedily turn from his evil ways, for God can bring his judgements on thee in a moment; thou mayeſt have no time, no ſpace to bewail thy ſins, but his anger will conſume thee in the twinkling of an eye; yet how ſecurely do men live in open rebellion againſt God? how do they put far off from them the evil day? They put it far off in their thoughts, when God puts it very near in reality upon them: Could men eat and drink, and riſe up to play, if they did conſider how obnoxious they are to the ſharp arrows of God, which may be ſhot into their hearts every hour? who can tell thee what evil the next day, the next night, the next hour, may bring upon thee?
Fourthly, Gods framing of evil, as the Potter doth his clay, doth denote an impoſſibility to reſiſt, and to eſcape his judgements: Can the clay refuſe the Potters 4.hand? no more can wicked men Gods Government, whereby he puniſheth wicked men for their ſins: There is no running from God, If thou getteſt into heaven or hell, as the Pſalmiſt ſaith, his right hand will finde thee out, Pſal. 139. 8. God tells Lu…ifer, that is Nebuchadnezar, Though he build his neſts in the clouds, yet he will pull him down: He that eſcaped the Lyon, the Bear would devour him; and he that eſcaped the Bear, the Serpent out of the wall would ſting him, Amos 5. 19. If then God prepare and frame evil againſt thee, its not all the policy or power in the world can ſecure thee. Who art thou, O piece of clay, O mortal man, duſt and aſhes, that thou ſhouldſt be able to flee from Gods anger, when it purſueth thee?
Fifthly, As it argueth irreſiſtableneſs, ſo a neceſſity of ſubmitting and yielding 5.to him; Not to ſtrive or repine at his chaſtiſements: Thus the Scripture often, Shall the potſheard riſe up againſt the Potter, and ſay, Why madeſt thou me ſo? Rom. 9. 21. The fooliſhneſs of a man perverteth his way, and his heart fretteth againſt the Lord: Thus when we by our evil deeds cauſe Gods wrath to fall upon us, we are ready to ſay with the Jews, His ways are not equal; its part of the ſin and puniſhment which the damned have in hell, that they curſe, and rage, and blaſpheme God continually: Oh take heed of being like the damned in hell, fretting at that evill which God frames againſt thee! Do thou, as Ieremy here, Go down into the field of the potter, and conſider the clay there: Remember thy own ſelf, thy duſt, thy clay, and thy ſins; all which will make thee not open thy mouth, becauſe God doth it. How ſhould this humble the proud and lofty ſpirits of haughty and obſtinate ſinners? God he frames his judgements againſt thee, and can… thou refuſe them? muſt thou not yield the back to his ſcourges and blows? why ſhould a living man complain, a man for the puniſhment of his ſins, Lam. 3.
Sixthly, This phraſe doth imply, how unwilling God is to exerciſe his wrath which 6.he hath purpoſed; for here he tells the Iſraelites, He frameth and deviſeth evil againſt them, as his purpoſe and reſolution; therefore let them return from their evil ways, to prevent the actual pouring out of his wrath: Thus in the former part of the Chapter, God ſpeaks to a people about pulling them down, before he doth indeed deſtroy them. To frame and purpoſe evil, is not preſently to bring evil; No, if that people, againſt whom it is framed, repent of their evil practiſed, God will of his evil framed and reſolved on: Thus God ſpeaks of Whetting his glistering Sword, before he run it into the bowels; and he is ſaid to roar like a Lyon, which giveth warning before he tear in pieces, and there be none to deliver. The Prophet expreſſeth this way of God excellently, when having inſtanced in what judgements God purpoſed to viſit them with, And becauſe I will do this, prepare to meet thy God, O Iſrael, Amos 4. 12. Take thou our Saviors counſel, Agree with thy adverſary in the way, before he hale thee to the judge, and thou be condemned, Mat. 5. 25. from whence thou canſt never be reprived: So that this expreſſion of framing evil, ſignifieth much love, goodneſs, and unwillingneſs of God actually to deſtroy.
Seventhly, To frame evil, and deviſe it, doth excellently repreſent the juſtice 7.of God, that he dealeth with men according to their wickedneſs; for as this people would not turn to God, but go after the devices and imaginations of their own heart; ſo God he will imagine and deviſe from his heart evil againſt them; ſo that its a very ſutable expreſſion to thoſe wicked men. As in another place, when the Iſraelites were ſo obſtinate, that they would walk in the way which they ſhould chooſe; God to anſwer them, tells them, He would alſo chooſe out their deluſions, Iſa. 66. 4. ſo true is that of Pſal. 18. With the froward thou wilt ſhew thy ſelf froward: So that this ſhould exceedingly humble and terrifie wicked men, for God will ſhape out puniſhments, and frame out ſuch judgements, that will be very anſwerable and proportionable to thy wickedneſs.
Eighthly, To frame evil, and deviſe it, implyeth the wiſdom of God:
Firſt, That he afflicts in counſel and deliberation (to ſpeak after the manner 8. 1.of men) not in ſudden, irregular paſſion; he frameth it, he deviſeth it: Thus when God was to deſtroy the whole world, he ſaith, Let us go down and ſee whether it be ſo or no: Theſe are expreſſions to humane capacity, to ſhew how juſt and wiſe God is in all the calamities he brings upon a people. When Theodoſius had in cruel paſſion, cauſed the people of Theſſalonica to be put to the ſword, for ſome offence done againſt him, Ambroſe would not admit him to the Sacrament, till he had repented of that cruel paſſion; and withal, made a law, that when any man was condemned to death, there ſhould be thirty days reſpite between ſentence and execution, that ſo nothing might be done in paſſion.
Secondly, Gods wiſdom is ſeen, in that its not every kinde of judgement he takes, but what is fit for his end he propounds: As the Potter doth not make every veſſel in one ſhape, but one one way; another, another, as his uſe is of it, Thus God ſheweth wonderful wiſdom, in the variety of his afflictions, one is one way exerciſed, another, another; becauſe they come not at random, but are framed by God, at his pleaſure. Hence Dan. 9. he is ſaid to watch over evil, to bring it upon them. God watcheth over evil, to ſhew that he conſiders what is the fitteſt judgement, what is the fitteſt ſeaſon, who are the fitteſt ſubjects: Oh how well is it, that the framing and deviſing of all evil, is not in the Devils hands, and wicked mens hands! they indeed frame evil, and deviſe malicious devices; but they are onelyonly inſtruments, every way limited, in power, in time and place, and therefore they cannot devour as they deſire: And thus much for the phraſe, To frame and deviſe evil, when attributed to God.
In the next place, conſider briefly, why judgements and afflictions are Why judgements and afflictions are called evil.called evil; For is not God juſt in diſpenſing of them? Are not his judgements righteous and holy? Do not the people of God with much joy and praiſe, acknowledge them? why then ſhould they be called evil? This hath ſtruck ſo much upon ſome of the Ancients, Arnobius and others, that they thought onelyonly that good came from God, which was pleaſant and comfortable; and that theſe bitter ſore afflictions, come onelyonly Permiſſivè, as the Orthodox ſay, about the evil of ſin: And the error about this, made the Marcionites hold two firſt and chief principles: One Good, from whom came onelyonly good; the other Evil and wicked, from whom came onelyonly evil: But the Scripture is very clear, and the Prophets are very diligent to inform, That all the judgements they lay under, were brought by God upon them for their ſins.
Firſt therefore, They are called evil, becauſe though in their nature and uſe, the good fruits of Gods juſtice, yet they deprive us of our temporal and ſpiritual 1.good we might enjoy: So that as the happineſs and quietneſs we might have in body and ſoul, is truly called Good; ſo that which depriveth us of theſe, may well be called evil. Thus the Prophet, Your iniquities withhold good things from you, Jer. 5. 25. Oh how ſhould this, if not the love of God, make thee ſet againſt thy ſin; for its that which depriveth thee of all temporal and ſpiritual good; its that which turneth all thy honey into gall, all thy wine into vinegar, all thy bread into a ſtone.
Secondly, It may well be called evil, becauſe its the fruit of that which is truly evil. The evil of puniſhment is the neceſſary daughter of the evil of ſin; 2.now it is uſual to call any effect by the name of the cauſe, and nothing is more ordinary in Scripture, to call both ſin it ſelf, and the puniſhment of ſin, by the name of ſin: Thus ſin is ſaid to lie at the door, Gen. 4. 7. Chriſt became ſin for us, 2 Cor. 4. Your ſin will finde you out, Numb. 32. 23. that is, ſin and puniſhment: So that no man may commit the evil of ſin, with hope to eſcape the evil of puniſhment, for they are both chained together.
Thirdly, They are evil, becauſe upon all men naturally where they fall, if not prevented by grace, they draw out their evil, they make them more wicked, as we may 3.ſee in the damned: ſo that afflictions and judgements of themſelves, have no ſutable power to convert and turn from ſin, but rather ſtir up the fire of corruption in men to a greater flame. They are as Garlike, and other unſavory herbs, the more they are pounced, the worſe is their ſmell.
But although they be called evil, yet they are nothing ſo evil, as the evil of ſin. The breach of Gods law, the offence done to his Majeſty, is infinitely a Sin the great….greater evil then any temporal or eternal miſery; yea, this latter is to be indured, rather then the other committed: Oh! who ſhall perſwade the world of this? that to be poor, to be miſerable, to be tormented with all kinde of cruel deaths here, and eternally tormented hereafter, is nothing ſo bad as to commit the leaſt ſin; yet nothing is more true then this thing. Oh thou that judgeſt ſin pleaſure and profit, hearken to this; few have Anſelms reſolution, That if ſin be on one hand, and hell flames on the other, he would choſe rather to run into this latter, then commit the former. Iob was charged for an hypocrite by his friends, though falſly, in this, that he choſe ſin rather then affliction: An hypocrite will rather venture on the evil of ſin, then fall into the evil of affliction.
Uſe of Admonition, To take heed of all ungodly and wicked ways, for you ſee you have to do with a wiſe and juſt God, who frameth puniſhments for Uſe.thee: Do not think to eſcape, do not pleaſe thy ſelf with impunity, God ſeeth and looketh on, and accordingly is preparing to ſmite thee: Oh, while you are jolly, ſecure and merry, what is doing in heaven againſt you! Be not any longer prophane Atheiſts, but ſet faith on work; imagine with Belſhazzar, thou doeſt not onelyonly ſee an Hand-writing on every wall againſt thee, but on every cup, on every pot, on every bed, on every piece of ground thou treadeſt upon: O turn to God, before he put his purpoſes in execution, then thou canſt not reſiſt, but art undone for ever.