The Eye and Wheel of Providence, Chapter 36
CHAP. XXXVI. Inſtruction third.
Inſtruct. 3 SEeing all things are ordered, diſpoſed, and come to paſſe by God's Providence, then we ought not abſolutely to determine of any thing, as if the Law were in our hands, and we were abſolute maſters of our own actions, whereas we have ſhewed before that it is not in man to order his own waies; For as Solomon tells us, Though there be many divices in man's heart, yet the Counſell of the Lord ſhall ſtand, Prov. 19.21. We muſt not therefore ſay, we will have this or we will have that. Some will have faire weather, ſome foul, ſome will have plenty, others ſcarcity; and herein men are as often croſſed, as they are mightily deceived, being very unable to comprehend what is beſt for them.
Holcot tells a ſtory of an Hermite, that having fowed pot-herbs in his garden, deſired fair weather and foul weather, as he judged to be beſt for his herbs and plants, and ſo had all granted of God according to his requeſt; but not one herb ever came up, whereupon he thought there was a generall failing of ſuch herbs in all places, till on a time walking to another Hermite, not far off, he ſaw with him a very excellent crop;Putabas te ſapientiorem Deo, & ipſe oſtendit tibi fatuitatem tuam. Holcot in lib. Sapient. lect. 9. then he told him what he had begged and obtained touching the weather, and what effect it had; whereunto the other Hermite anſwered; Thou thought'ſt thy ſelf wiſer than God, and he hath ſhewed thee thy folly; I for my crop never asked any other weather than God ſhould pleaſe to ſend. So there are ſome in theſe our daies that would have this government both in Church and State, ſome would have that, and others would have no government at all. Well were it, many in our daies would learn of this old Hermite, to be leſſe wiſe in their own conceits concerning ſuch things as theſe, and to relie more upon Gods Providence, than there would not be ſo much murmuring among us as there is.
Seneca, writing of Caeſar ſaith, That having appointed a great feaſt for his Nobles and friends of all degrees,Murmuratores ſimiles ſunt verſantibus in gyrum, donèc capite & ſenſibus perturbatis caetera omnia perturbari putant. Pythagor. it fell out that the day was ſo exceeding wet, that nothing could be done; whereat being enraged, he commanded all them that had bowes to ſhoot up their arrows at Jupiter, in defiance of him for that fowle weather; which being done, their arrowes lighting ſhort of Heaven, fell down upon their own heads. And juſt ſo it falls out with many in our daies, that murmure at God's Providence. He is a very bad Souldier that followeth his Generall with grudging; and he is a very bad man that controleth God in his works. Murmurers (as the Philoſopher obſerveth) are like unto ſuch as turn round about, till their heads and ſenſes being turned, they think all thing to turn round.
Seeing then all things are ordered and diſpoſed by Gods Providence, we muſt not then ſay, we will do this or that of our own heads without asking cave of any one, but do as David when he ſent the Ark from Kiriathjearim: He conſulted with the Captains of thouſands and hundreds, and with every Leader, and ſaid unto all the Congregation of Iſrael; If it ſeem good unto you, and that it be of the Lord our God, let us ſend abroad unto all our Brethren every where, and let us bring again the Ark of our God unto us, 1 Chron. 13.2. Socrates being taught by Naturall reaſon this Doctrine, willeth Alcibiades, in all things to ſay, if the Lord will. So St. James bids us all do, Jam. 4.Tarnb. Expoſit. Jacob. Go to now ye that ſay to day or to morrow we will go into ſuch a City, and continue there a year, and buy and ſell, and get gain, verſ. 13, 15. For that ye ought to ſay, if the Lord will, and if we live we will do this or that. Here the Apoſtle reproveth the vain preſumption of the proud Merchants and great worldlings, who in the arrogancy of their hearts, and vain confidence in themſelves, leave the reverend account they ſhould have of the providence of God whereby all things onelyonly are directed, and ſay to day or to morrow, we will do this or that; it is very injurious to God's Providence to determine of things long before hand at our Pleaſure; Saying this ſhall be done, and who ſhall hinder us? Are there not many in our daies guilty in this kind, do not many great Princes ſay, we will ſet on foot ſuch a deſign, and bring ſuch an enterprize to effect? Say not many great Captains, we will invade ſuch a Princes Territories, and land ſuch an Army, and beſiege ſuch a Town or Caſtle? Say not our Merchants we will go to the Eaſt-Indies, to Spain, France, Conſtantinople, to Leghorn, Aleppo, Smyrna, Hamborough, or to the Low-Countries, and there we will traffique and negotiate? Say not our young gallants, we will go travel to Rome, Venice, Paduoa, Conſtantinople, Jeruſalem? Say not our rich Citizens, we will go down into the Countrey, and there take the freſh aire, and continue ſo many moneths, and then we will return again? And ſay not moſt men and women, this and that we will do, and who ſhall controule us? A great vanity it is for men to boaſt that they will do ſuch and ſuch things at ſuch and ſuch times, whenas the moſt skillfull man knoweth not what ſhall be to morrow. No man knoweth whether he ſhall be rich or poor, be in honour or diſhonour, whether he ſhall live or die: Solomon ſaith, There is no man that knoweth what ſhall be, Eccl. 3.22. Eccl. 8.2.for who can tell him when it ſhall be, &c. Hereby the idols of the Heathen are convinced to be no gods, becauſe they know not what ſhall be, Iſa. 44.7. Here all thoſe may receive a check, that take upon them through judiciall Aſtrology, Palmiſtery, and calculating of nativities according to that Art, to foretell what, notable accidents ſhall befall any man throughout his whole life; yet do I not reprove the ſtudy of Aſtronomy and gueſſing at the weather by obſerving the aſpects of the planets and their houſes, and the riſing of certain fixed Stars beſides,Math. 16.2 and by obſerving the winds and other ſigns in the skie (for by theſe other men can conjecture alſo many times rightly whether the next day ſhall be fair or fowle as our Saviour ſpeaketh) ſo as we acknowledge God to be a free Agent and not tied to the concurrences of ſecond cauſes, which he diſpoſeth, ordereth and altereth at his pleaſure.