The Eye and Wheel of Providence, Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII. How Gods providence reacheth the habitations and dwellings of Men.
5. IT will not now be unmeet to ſhew, how Gods providence reacheth the habitations and dwellings of men. God knew the City called Damaſcus, and the Street therein called ſtrait; he knew the houſe of Simon the Tanner at Joppa; Chriſt knew the upper room in that houſe, where he intended to eat the Paſſeover with his Diſciples.Omnia nòn …olùm à Deo permiſſa, ſed etiam immiſſa. Lypſius de conſtant. All mens habitations and dwellings are appointed by God; he appointeth to every man his proper place, and ſaith, Dwell thou here. Some plot to dwell in this place, ſome in that, and God ſendeth them into other places and Countries to dwell: ſome are appointed to dwell in hungry and barren places, and others in delectable, pleaſant, well-watered, and fruitfull places: ſome have very convenient dwellings for their more comfortable enjoyment of Gods Ordinances; as it is ſaid of Juſtus, Migrat in aliam domum proculdubiò Gentilis hominis, ut etiam nomen Romanum indicat, quo tanto commodiùs poſſet cum Gentilibus agere, eoſ que docere occaſione hoſpitis & hoſpitii. Flac. Illyr. in Act. 18.that his houſe joyned hard to the Synagogue, Act. 18.7. and it's very probable, that the houſe of Anna the Propheteſs was very near to the Temple in Jeruſalem, for it is ſaid, that ſhe was a widow of about fourſcore and four years, having lived with a husband ſeven years from her virginity, and that ſhe departed not from the Temple, but ſerved God with faſtings and prayers night and day, Luk. 2.36, 37. She was of a great age when ſhe uttereth her propheſie concering Chriſt, in all likelyhood, about an hundred years old at this time; for it's not likely ſhe married before fifteen years of age, ſhe lived with her husband ſeven, a widow eighty four years; wherein we have a rare example of chaſtity and conſtancy, for a young noble woman in the flower of her age, about ſome two and twenty years old, to loſe her husband, and to content her ſelf to live a widow ſo long in one place, with ſuch ſingular commendation. Now whereas it is ſaid, that ſhe departed not from the Temple, &c. it is not meant that ſhe never went out of the Temple (but ſhould lodge there as a Nun or Cloyſterer) ſo much cannot be gathered,Supervenire autem nòn potuit, ſi nonquam diſceſſiſſet. Gualt. ad loc. but the contrary, becauſe it is ſaid verſ. 38. that ſhe came upon Joſeph and Mary at the ſame inſtant that they brought up Jeſus to the Temple; but ſuch was her devotion, as ſhe was ſeldome abſent thence, ſhe abode there for the moſt part, giving her ſelf to the ſervice of God by the exerciſes of faſting night and day, that is at all times, or very frequently.
God ſometime ſends a man to dwell in ſuch a place to convert ſome of the inhabitants thereof. It is conceived that David dwelling a while at Gath, Fenner's Catechiſm.converted Ittai the Gittite to the faith, 2 Sam. 15.19. and that Abraham dwelling or ſojourning among the Canaanites, by his godly perſwaſions preaching to them, and converſing with them, made many forſake their Idolatry, and imbrace the true worſhip of the true God. There is no man hath a ſpot of ground, or never to ſmall a cottage to dwell in, but he hath it at the hand of God; and it is a ſingular providence of God that we can dwell in ſafety, and that our habitations, dwelling houſes and poſſeſſions are not laid waſte, when we conſider the greatneſſe of our ſins, which are able to make deſolate the moſt goodly Edifices, and moſt ſtately Palaces. God threatned to ſend a fire into the houſe of Hazael, that ſhould devour the palaces of Benhadad, Amos 1.4. God depriveth men of a great bleſſing, when he takes their dwelling houſes from them. God hath many wayes to remove men from their houſes and homes. David through fear of Abſalom was forced to flie from his houſe in Jeruſalem. Manaſſeh was forced out of his houſe and Kingdom into a priſon; others by riotouſneſſe and unthriftineſſe caſt themſelves out of their habitations; ſome wilfully (like the Prodigal) leave their Father's houſe, Luke 15. Some go into a ſtrange Countrey, and never return again to their own native Countrey. Shebna the treaſurer promiſed himſelf a ſetled habitation, and made himſelf a Sepulchre, yet the Lord threatens to drive him out, Iſa. 22.15. God commandeth the Prophet to ſay unto Shebna; What haſt thou here, and whom haſt thou here, that thou haſt hewed thee out a Sepulchre here, as he that …heweth out a Sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himſelf on a rock? Sometime the fear of bodily wants makes men leave their home, their native ſoil, their friends and kinred to go into a ſtrange Countrey, ſo forcible is nature for the preſervation of corporal life, which man ſo much eſteemeth. Thus in a time of famine in the Land, Elimelech, his wife, and his two ſons went from Bethlehem-judah to ſojourn in the Land of Moab; Ruth 1.all this came to paſſe by the Providence of God, that hath all things at his diſpoſing, that no man may think himſelf ſecurely ſetled; which conſideration ſhould much humble men when they are driven out from their habitations, or their dwelling houſes are taken from them; and when they peaceably enjoy them, to ſtir them up to uſe them to the furtherance of God's glory, and day by day to praiſe God for the comfortable uſe we have of them. If God call any of us to dwell in ſuch a place, where he hath given us great poſſeſſions, rich inheritances, fair houſes, pleaſant gardens, Orchyards, ſtore of cattel, &c. Let us ſay of them, theſe hath the moſt High divided to me: He divided to the Nations their inheritance, when he ſeparated the ſonnes of Adam, he ſet the beunds of the people according to the number of the children of Iſrael, Deut. 32.8. It becometh every one to do good in that place where the Providence of God hath caſt him. At the eſpouſals of Boaz and Ruth, the Elders and Inhabitants of Bethlehem pray, that he might do worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Iſrael, Ruth 4.11, 12. Bethlehem was the place of Boaz his dwelling, here lay his Eſtate and Inheritance; there muſt every good man labour to do much good in the place where God hath ſeated him, either by courſe of inheritance, or by any other honeſt and lawfull means of poſſeſſion. It is noted of our Saviour, That he firſt executed his Miniſtry where he had been brought up, Luke 4.16. They are much too blame that forſake their own houſes and get houſes in deſolate places where none can find them. God for this even threatneth, That many houſes great and fair ſhould be deſolate without an inhabitant, Iſa. 5.9. Men bring that judgement upon themſelves to runne away from the houſes which God hath called them to dwell in, leaving Ziim and Ohim to lodge, Oſtriches and Satyrs to dwell there.