The Eye and Wheel of Providence, Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII. Of the ſpecial Providence of God towards Men. How God overruleth the hearts and wills of men; yea of the greateſt Kings and Princes; and how the Actions of men are ſwayed by the Providence of God. Of Gods Providence about things contingent. A Diſcourſe about Lots.
NOw it will be neceſſary that I ſpeak of the ſpecial Providence of God toward Men. There is not a man that either is conceived, or born, or liveth, or moveth, or ſtandeth, or falleth, or dieth, but by the will and appointment of God. It is from the Providence of God that the hairs of our head are all numbred. God keeps account of the baſer parts of our bodies, which indeed be not parts, but ſuperfluous excrements,Pili nòn facio, Ne Pilo quidem melius. Wilkins Beauty of Providence. which are cut off, and caſt away. The hairs of our head (as one ſaith) are contemptible even to a Proverb, and yet theſe with God are inter numerata, among thoſe things whereof he takes an exact account. Gods Providence ſo ordered it,Capilli hominibus ad depellendum à cerebro frigus, & contra illud muniendum dati ſunt. Scal. Exerc. 177. Quid timebo damna membrorum, quando ſecuritatem accipio capillorum? Aug. Serm. de Mart. Qui ſum curator, & numerata habeo etiam minutiſſima, diſtribuo unicui que quod ſuae menſurae congruit. Theophylact. ad Luc. 12. that not an hair of the heads of any of the three children that were caſt into Nebuchadnezzars fiery oven, was ſinged, Dan. 3.27. What doth God take care of the hairs of our head, and are they all numbred? as out Saviour ſaith, Mat. 10.30. What then ſhall I fear, ſaith Auſtin? Surely I that have ſecurity for the hairs of my head, will not fear the loſs of any member I have: Yet if it ſhall pleaſe God to ſmite me in any member I have, in an arm, or leg, or in all, ſo that I be as if all my bones were out of joynt, I ſhall ever acknowledge the hand of God and his particular providence; What is of leſſe value than the hairs of a mans head; yet not an hair of our heads ſhall periſh, but as the Lord pleaſeth, Luke 21.18.
As all men, ſo all of man are within the compaſſe of Gods Providence. But to ſpeak particularly,
1. The hearts and wils of men: The Kings heart, ſaith Solomon, is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water, he turneth it whitherſoever he will, Prov. 21.1. Some men are Maſters of others, that are not Maſters of their own wils; the Lord leadeth the wils of the greateſt Potentates, even as the Rivers of waters are led by their Channels or Water-courſes: Nay, even in voluntary actions, wherein man hath free will to chuſe or refuſe, the providence of God overruleth them: the Prophet confeſſeth as much, Ier. 10.23. ſaying, O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himſelf; it is not in man that walketh to direct his ſteps; it is not improbable, that the Prophet ſpake this upon the alteration of Nebuchadnezzars purpoſe, who having determined to go againſt the Ammonites and Mo…bites, turneth himſelf ſuddenly againſt Ieruſalem, but not without the direction and appointment of God, Ier. 9.11. and though God forceth not, nor offereth violence to mans will, yet he ordereth, diſpoſeth, directeth and turneth it as he pleaſeth, like the Rivers of waters; for his will is the Prima cauſa, and principium motus in all actions, as St Paul tells the Athenians out of their own Authours; In him we live, move, and have our being, Act. 17.28.
2.Some go to Sea, and ſail to India poor, yet they return from thence rich with Indian gold, far beſide their intention: An ign rant man goes to Athens not purpoſing to be…ome learned: Yet providence ſo diſpoſeth, that he fals in love with learning: and returneth from thence a learned man. Rutherfords Influences. All the actions of men are ſwayed by the Providence of God.
1. Things contingent and meerly caſual in reſpect of us, as Exod. 21.13. where it is ſaid, that when one man killed another u…aw…res, yet God offered him into his hand, becauſe he intended or meant him no harm; God alſo provided him a reſcue in one of the Cities of refuge. If any thing could come to paſſe without Gods Providence, then moſt likely thoſe things that are contingent and meerly accidental in regard of us: But theſe things do not, as appeareth in the caſting of Lots; which is called by the Poets, Coeca & improviſa ſors, the Lot is caſt into the l…p, but the whole dispoſition thereof is from the Lord, Pro. 16.33.
For the uſe of Lots and cuſtome of caſting or drawing of them,Tacit. l. 19. it is of great antiquity, both among Iews and Gentiles: The Aegyptians did by Lot divide to every mean what fields he ſhould till, and the Roman Magiſtrates to prevent ambition, aſſigned praefectureſhips and Legations by Lot. Ezekiel ſpeaketh of the King of Babylons caſting Lots, Ezekiel 21.19. The Souldiers caſt Lots for Chriſts garment.
Definit of a Lot. Auguſt. in Pſal. 30.For the definition of a Lot, you may receive it from St Auguſtine, who ſaith, that Sors nòn eſt aliquid mali, ſed res eſt in dubitatione humanâ divinam indicans voluntatem. A Lot is not any evil thing, but it is a matter of humane doubt, ſhewing the will of God, or the caſting of a thing doubtfull upon a caſuall event, leaving the deciſion and determination thereof wholly to Gods providence. The matter of Lots was divers;Petrus Greg. in tit. elect. The Hebrew word Goral ſeemeth to be derived of foreign, ſignifying miſcere lites, to move ſtrife, and the negative particle [lo] which is not; ſo then a Lot endeth ſtrife. Of the Hebrew word Goral ſeemeth to be derived the Greek foreign, by tranſpoſing of the letters. foreign, Lapillus, Calculus, which he that gave his voice, put into a Box, either in the affirmative or negative part. Thucyae hiſt. l. 1. the moſt ancient uſed beams either black or white, letters of the Alphabet, or little Globes, which were either guilded or ſilvered, as among the Venetians, or done over with wool, as among the Germans. The occaſions whereupon they were uſed were divers, but the main end and uſe of them was to ſtint ſtrife, and cauſe contention to ceaſe, when in doubtfull and difficult caſes men referred the determining of the matter to God, and made him the Umpire. The Lot, ſaith Solomon, cauſeth contention to ceaſe, and parteth between the mighty, Prov. 18.18. and a ſtrife is in ſerious matters properly, and of weight, not in light and ludicrous things, Willet in Lev. They were ſometime uſed in dividing of inheritances, and that by the appointment of God, Numb. 26.55, 56. For although Eleazar the High-Prieſt, Joſhua the Governour, and twelve Princes of the Tribes (appointed of God, Numb. 34.17, 18.) were to divide the Land, yet to cut off all contention, and to ſhew the providence and diſpoſition of God according to the counſell of his will, he commanded Lots to be caſt. There was a divine vertue preſident in this office, ſaith Origen, which directed Joſhua in dividing of the inheritance to the people; and by reaſon of dividing the Land by Lot, the Scripture calleth inheritances by the name of Lot, as Judah ſaid to Simeon his Brother, Judg. 1.3. Come up with me into my Lot: ſo in the Greek foreign a Lot, and foreign, a diviſion by Lot, is the common name of an inheritance, Act. 8.21.Origen Homil. 23. in Joſh. Eph. 1.13. whereof Origen thus ſpeaketh, I did ſearch whether the name of Lot were uſed in the New Teſtament, and I found Paul thus writing to the Epheſians, In whom, foreign, we were choſen as by lot, Eph. 1.11. being predeſtinate: and to the Coloſſians, Giving thanks to the Father, who hath made us meet, foreign, for the part of the lot of the Saints, Col. 1.12. Paul applyeth that caſting of lots, whereby the inheritance of Canaan was divided to the Iſraelites, to the ſorting and partaking of the heavenly inheritance in Chriſt.
Wolf. Comment. in Nehe.It was an old cuſtome among the Heathen, to uſe lots in the choice of Magiſtrates; and among the Jews, Saul was by lots taken to be a King. Homer ſaith,Homer Iliad. 7. it was the advice Neſtor gave to the nine Worthies of Greece, being every one ready enough to accept of Hectors challenge, to put the matter upon a lottery, and the lot being put into Agamemnons lap, it fell to Ajax his ſhare. Liv. Hiſt. l. 2.Thus Livy ſaith of one Appius a Roman-Generall, that for a mutiny among his Souldiers, he tithed them, and condemned the tenth man to the block; the triall was to be made by lots. So Joſephus ſaith, that among the Jews,Joſeph. de bello Judaico. l. 3. c. 14. in a caſe of extremity, they caſt lots who ſhould be killed first. Yea we find that lots have been caſt for the choice of Eccleſiaſticall Officers too, not only among Pagans and Paynims, but even Chriſtian, and that in the pureſt times of the primitive Church, even by the Apoſtles themſelves, as in the chooſing of Matthias into the room of Judas, Act. 1.Beda Comment. in Act. A…uin. ſumm. 2a 2 ae. quaeſt. 95. Quantum mihi videtur, qui maneant, & qui fugiant, ſorte legendi ſunt. Aug. Some think this courſe ſhould now ceaſe, becauſe this was before the Holy Ghoſt was fallen on them at Pentecoſt, Act. 2. and becauſe afterwards they choſe them ſeven Deacons, not by lots, but by voices, Act. 6. But Auſtin is of another mind, and ſaith, That if two or moe of equall gifts and graces ſtand for a preferment in the Church, ſo as it may be uncertain who may do moſt good in it, it may be decided by lot. Item, if two Miniſters in a Town be purſued and perſecured, to preſerve one for the good of the Church in time to come, and that one may ſtay and diſcharge the duty for the time preſent, they may try it by a lot who ſhall fly, and who ſhall ſtand to it. Alſo if two or three needy perſons come to one for relief, who is not able to relieve them all, he may try by a lot, whom he ſhall give his money to, and who ſhall go without it.
Si neceſſitate aliquâ compulſi Deum putent ſortibus exemplo Apoſtolorum eſſe conſulendum. Beda.Now in the uſe of lots, to make it lawfull, theſe Cautions are requiſite:
1. That it be not done ordinarily, but only in matters of difficulty, and a laſt refuge in caſes of neceſſity and importance; for even great men will not be troubled with ſlight matters; none but great matters were brought to Moſes, Exod. 18.22. and is muſt not be neither, but when the wit of man is at a nòn plus, and cannot detect nor determine
2. It muſt not be done raſhly but reverently, as in the choice of Matthias; the Brethren were aſſembled, and their Prayers put up to God, for his direction in that buſineſs.
3. The Scriptures nor any part of them muſt be abuſed therein, this is no better than Sorcery, and in ſuch diſcoveries the Devil is the agent for his own advantage.
4. The ends muſt be Gods glory, the good of the Church or Commonwealth, by electing the fitteſt to bear Offices, and for the maintenance of Juſtice, and ſtinting of ſtrife, which otherwiſe might be endleſſe.
5. It muſt be free from impiety and Idolatry,Aretij Problem. not expecting the event from Fortune, nor yet from the Stars, leaſt of all from the Devil, but we muſt onelyonly depend upon the providence of God to diſpoſe all at his pleaſure.