Gods Sovereignty Displayed from Job 9:12, Treatise 1 · Chapter 3 – Chapter 4
CHAP. III.
II. GOd takes away what he pleaſeth, in reſpect of the place where: So Jobs Children were taken from him when they were feaſting in their Elder Brothers houſe, a place ſeemingly of great ſecurity. Naomi loſt her Husband and her two Sons in a ſtrange Land; when ſhe ſojourned in Moab, ſhe was left a childleſs Widow in a ſtrange Country, therefore, ſaith ſhe, Call me not Naomi, but Marah, for I went out full, but the Lord hath brought me home again empty, Ruth 1.21. So Jacob had his beloved Rachel taken away from him on a journey, as they were travelling in the way.
III. In reſpect of the time when; Nebuchadnezzar loſt the uſe of his reaſon, when he was in the height of his glory, walking in his ſtately Palace of Babel, Dan. 4.30. being puffed up with pride: Is not this great Babylon that I have built by the might of my power, and for the honour of my Majeſty; and while the word was yet in his mouth, a voice came from heaven, ſaying, to thee it is ſpoken, the Kingdome is departed from thee, and the ſame hour was it fulfilled upon him. So the rich man in the Goſpel had his ſoul taken from him, even then when he promiſed himſelf many years enjoyment of his wealth.
IV. The Lord taketh away by what means and inſtruments, and in what manner he pleaſeth: Job's Oxen and Aſſes were taken away by the Sabeans, his Camels by the Chaldeans, his ſheep burnt by fire from heaven, his children ſlain by the fall of an houſe, yet in concluſion Job doth not ſay, The Lord hath given, and the Chaldeans and Sabeans have taken, but the Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken: Now God is ſaid to take away, when Inſtruments do take away; it is ſeldome that God dealeth with a people immediately, but in theſe outward Providences he ſtirreth up Inſtruments to do what is done; but that which Inſtruments do, the Lord is ſaid to do, Iſai. 42.24. Who gave Jacob to the ſpoiler, and Iſrael to the robber, did not I the Lord? Men robbed and ſpoiled them, yet it was the Lords act to ſend theſe ſpoilers upon them; the Act is from the Lord, though the wickedneſs of the act be from the evil inſtruments. There are many wayes that God uſeth to take men away; ſome die with the Peſtilence, and ſuch like contagious diſeaſes; ſome die by the Sword; one is conſumed with famine, another is killed with thirſt; ſome are choaked in waters, others conſumed by fire; ſome are torn with the teeth of Beaſts, others are taken away by poyſon, and ſo by many means the miſerable life of man is finiſhed.
CHAP. IV. Sheweth the Reaſons why God taketh away from us what he pleaſeth.
SECT. I.
THe reaſons why God taketh away from his poor creatures what he pleaſeth, are theſe.
Reaſ. 1. Becauſe of that right and property that God hath to, and in all his creatures; they are his creatures, whatſoever they have he gave them, therefore he doth with his own as he pleaſeth: Gods own people did not conſider this, therefore the Lord threatens the Church to take away what he had given her, Hoſ. 2.8, 9. She did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oyl, and multiplied her ſilver and gold, therefore I will return and take away [my] corn in the time thereof, and recover [my] wooll, and [my] flax given to cover her nakedneſs: Though man be the poſſeſſor, yet God is the chief Lord; we are but Stewards, God is the owner, as David acknowledgeth. All things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee, 2 Chron. 29.15. God hath given us only the uſe of ſuch things he hath committed to us for a time, not the propriety. A Steward cannot ſay, this houſe is mine, theſe Farms are mine, theſe are my Tenements, this is my Land, theſe are my Cattle, this is my Treaſure, for they are his Lords: He only hath the care of them, not the propriety in them: So every particular man (whatſoever he enjoyeth) he hath but the uſe of it, not the propriety. God is the Lord of heaven and earth, he ſtileth himſelf the poſſeſſor of heaven and earth; all theſe things are his, he hath jus ad omnia, jus in omnibus; a right to all things, a right in all things: therefore he calleth all the creatures his ſervants, Kings and Emperours are his ſervants: My ſervant Nebuchadnezzar: and all the Kingdomes of the world are Gods; God calleth all things his: as Jacob ſaid concerning Joſeph's ſons, Ephraim is mine, and Manaſſeh is mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they ſhall be mine, Gen. 48.5. So God calleth all things his which we do poſſeſs. Theſe houſes are mine, theſe riches are mine, theſe lands are mine, theſe children and ſervants are all mine; the Sea is his, and he made it, and all the Fiſhes therein are his; The earth is the Lords, and all the fulneſs thereof, Pſa. 24.1. and Pſa. 50.10, 11. God challengeth all the creatures to be his; Every beaſt of the forreſt is mine, and the cattle upon a thouſand hills are mine: I know all the fouls of the mountains, and the wild beaſts of the field are mine: the rich treaſures within the bowels of the earth, the rich Mines of gold and ſilver are his, the precious pearls are his, yea all the Inhabitants of the world are his: And all men at the beſt are but Domini uſu fructuarii (as the Civilians term is) ſuch as have the uſe and benefit, but not the right and property in the things they poſſeſs. God hath let out the world to the ſons of men, as Solomon did his Vineyard at Baal-hamon, Cant. 8.11, 12. unto certain Keepers. Solomon was to have a thouſand pieces of ſilver, and thoſe that kept the fruit thereof two hundred: God will have the honour of property and poſſeſſion, we the fruit of his Vineyard: Therefore it was a preſumptuous uſurpation of fooliſh Nabal, 1 Sam. 25.11. Shall I take my bread, and my water, and my fleſh, that I have killed for my Shearers? He ſpeaks like a covetous, uſurper, as if all theſe were his own, and not Gods, as if he had both the propriety and uſe of them. There are two things that demonſtrate that God hath the right and property of what we do enjoy.
1. Becauſe there is but one Lord of all things in the world: God is the wiſe Creator of all things, and he will be the Lord of all his creatures: he will preſerve the propriety of things to himſelf, although he giveth the uſeful fruition of his creatures to man. There are two reaſons why God made man Maſter of all the creatures; one is, ut cum mundus refertus ſit, intelligeret, quod locum in coelis, & non in terris quaereret: that ſeeing all neceſſaries are provided for him on earth, he ſhould not ſeek after a place upon earth to ſettle himſelf in, but a Manſion in heaven. Another reaſon is, to ſhew, that ſeeing all things were made before him, that the creatures were the Lords, and not his; that he was brought to this great houſe of the world to be Gods Steward, Tenant, or ſervant; therefore God enjoyned Adam to labour preſently, even in Paradiſe he was to dreſs the garden: Adam in his ſtate of Innocence, when he enjoyed the whole world, yet he was not Dominus terrae, the Lord of the earth; the earth was the Lords, and the fulneſs thereof: Adam was but as the French-men call a titular Lord, Dominus ſine terrâ.
2. Becauſe God will have all men to be dependent upon him; if men had their riches or honours from themſelves, they would ſtand upon their own bottom, they would even dare with Impudence to ſtand out and conteſt with God: Who is the Lord, ſaith proud Pharaoh? Thus every one would be ready to ſay, who is the Lord that I ſhould ſerve him? but when men ſhall know, that what they have, they have from God, they will depend upon him as a Steward dependeth upon his Maſter; you ſee the unjuſt Steward, Luke 16. was undone, when his Maſter turn'd him out of his ſervice.
SECT. II.
God many times takes away from us what he pleaſeth▪ to manifeſt his power and Soveraignty over us; God will have us to ſee that he is the Commander of all men, and that we are under his Command, and he may do with us, or take from us according to his pleaſure, and he is not bound to give us a reaſon of his actions. We are many times as blind as the Diſciples of Chriſt (and blinder too) when they moved the queſtion about the cauſe of the natural blindneſs of the man in the Goſpel, whether that man had ſinned, or his Parents, that he was born ſo, Joh. 9.3. Our Saviour anſwered, neither of both, but that the works of God might be manifeſt in him. What do I hear (ſaith S. Auguſtine) neither he nor his Parents? If there be no man without ſin, then doubtleſs not his Parents; and was not he himſelf born in original ſin? Or is it credible that in his life time he had added no actual offences to it? and though his eyes were ſhut, did not concupiſcence wake within him?Noverat cogitare ut forté concupiſcere aliquid, quod caecus non poſſit implere, ſed in corde judicari á cordis perſcrutatore. Aug. Tract. in Joan. 44. How many miſchiefs do ſome wicked blind men commit, yea from what evil almoſt do they abſtain? his eyes were cloſed indeed, but an evil mind can keep Centinel well enough within it ſelf. He knew how to think upon, and perhaps to luſt after ſomething, which being blind he could not put in execution, but be judged in heart by the ſearcher of the heart. Doubtleſs then both had ſinned; but their ſin was not the cauſe why he was born blind; what then? ut manifeſtent…r opera Dei, that the works of God might be manifeſted. Thus far Auguſtine upon the ſame place. He ſaith, opera Dei, the works of God (ſaith Calvin) becauſe as his work of judgement had been ſeen in his blindneſs (which was opus ſolitudinis, a work of ſolitude) ſo his mercy might appear in his recovery (which was opus reparationis, a work of reparation.) Itaque oum latent afflictionum cauſae, cohibenda eſt curioſitas, ne & Deo faciaſimus. Calvin ſuper Joh. 9.3.Therefore (ſaith he) when the cauſes of afflictions are not manifeſt, curioſity is to be reſtrained, leſt we both do injury to God, and become cruel toward our Brethren. This was manifeſt in Job, a work of power in taking away all his children, and a work of his clemency in reſtoring him ſo many again, and in ſuffering him to live to ſee the fourth generation of them, and afterward to die old and full of daies, for God is able even out of ſtones to raiſe up children to Abraham, to Job, to every true believer. When God takes from us thoſe things which he formerly gave us, as our habitations, food, rayment, health, wealth; if any man being thus emptied; complain of Gods dealing with him, cannot God reply juſtly to him, I owe you nothing? what I gave formerly, impute it to my meer love: My gifts are free, I take them now away, that you may know whence you had them, not that I am any wayes obliged to you: hitherto I have ſhewed my liberality and bounty toward you: if I now pleaſe to continue ſo no longer toward you, what Law have you to recover upon me? May I not do with mine as I pleaſe?Mat. 20.15. Friend, I do thee no wrong, take what is thine and depart. S. Auguſtine explaining Gods equity, ſaith thus: God takes away from us ſometimes things neceſſary, and ſo fretteth us, that we may know him our Father and Lord, not only pleaſing, but ſometimes likewiſe ſqueezing us.
And who dareth or can object the leaſt injury done unto him? And if God take away neceſſaries from us, yet we cannot accuſe God of injury; if he taketh them from us, even for his own Honour and Majeſty, and to ſhew his power and Authority over us: let us then ceaſe complaining, we are his ſubjects, and muſt be his Clients.
SECT. III.
It may be God in taking away our health, wealth, honour, houſes, poſſeſſions from us, intendeth to beſtow better things upon us, and then we are no loſers but great gainers, if God take away our goods, and give us more grace, if he take from us things neceſſary for our bodies, and gives us things abſolutely neceſſary to ſalvation, as pardon of ſin, peace of conſcience, aſſurance of his love and favour, what have we loſt thereby? It is too low to ſay (ſaith one) theſe are equivalent to temporals;Byrdals profit of godlineſs. they are tranſcendently more excellent than all temporal goods; the whole world is nothing to the grace and favour of God, and to pardon of ſin: if wealth were as neceſſary as grace, every Childe of God ſhould have it; therefore godly men have great cauſe of contentment, if God for reaſons beſt known to himſelf, doth either deny them, or take from them the things of this life. That Chriſtian is not poor, that is rich in grace; that man is not miſerable that hath Chriſt for his portion; though he hath no houſe to put his head in, yet he hath a Manſion in heaven provided for him, though he hath no food for his body, yet he hath meat to eat which the world knows not of, he hath Manna for his ſoul, though he hath no rayment for his body, yet he hath glorious robes for his ſoul. What kind of injury is that to take from one a thread-bare out-worn Coat, and to give him a new one that is far better? It is an excellent change to loſe temporals, and get ſpirituals and eternals. We many times think that a great eſtate is beſt for us, but God our heavenly Father both knoweth what we need, and what is beſt for us; were we to be our own carvers, as to our worldly eſtates and outward comforts, we ſhould do as the young Prophet, who being ſent to gather herbs, gathered poyſonous weeds inſtead of wholeſome herbs: therefore in all Gods Diſpenſations toward us, 'tis good to ſubmit to the wiſdome of God, who could make all his Children rich and great in the world, but doth not, becauſe in his wiſdome he thinks a meaner portion of the things of this life to be better for them than a greater: To have lectum stramineum, & cibum gramineum, ſtraw for our beds, and herbs for our food, may be better for us, than with the rich Epicure, to be cloathed in fine linnen, and to fare deliciouſly every day. In fine, every Chriſtian ſhall conclude, that eſtate God allotted me, was beſt for me, and the poor Chriſtian ſhall ſay, as Luther did, it was better for me that I was a poor Clown, and a Chriſtian, than if I had been great Alexander, and an Infidel.
SECT. IV.
Behold another cauſe of Gods taking away from us: Some there were that told Chriſt of certain Galileans, whoſe blood Pilate had mingled with their Sacrifices (an argument of Gods ſore diſpleaſure in the eye of man, to be ſurprized with death, (and that a bloody one) even in the act of Gods ſervice:) but Jeſus anſwered; Suppoſe ye theſe Galileans were greater ſinners than all the other, becauſe they ſuffered ſuch things? I tell you nay, but except ye repent, ye ſhall all likewiſe periſh, Luk. 13.1, 2. And he confirmeth it by another parallel to it, of the men upon whom the Tower of Siloam fell; here you ſee puniſhment for other mens inſtruction and example, ut aliorum foreign, that other mens ſcourges ſhould be our warnings: Let every one conſider, ſaith Cyprian, not what another hath ſuffered, but what even he himſelf deſerveth to ſuffer.unuſquiſque conſideret, non quod alius paſſus ſit, ſed quid patiet ipſe mereatur, Cyprian. de lapſis Sect. 21. Calvin harmon. ſup. hunc locum. In this we may ſay as he doth Plectuntur interim quidam, quò caeteri corrigantur. Some are ſuddenly puniſhed, to the end that others may be amended. It is a common diſeaſe among men, ſaith Calvin, to be ſevere Cenſors of others, when we ſee the ſcourge of God upon them, and to flatter themſelves if they eſcape unpuniſhed; whereas thus they ought to conſider: Firſt, that they ought to behold their own ſin, and to examine whether they have not deſerved the like puniſhment: Secondly, in that the Lord in his mercy ſpareth them, and chaſteneth others before their faces, to magnifie his name in their own behalf, and to betake themſelves unto ſpeedy repentance. Caecus ergo & pravus Arbiter eſt, qui hominum peccata ex paenis praeſentibus aſtimat: Therefore he is a blinde and perverſe Judge, who taxeth mens ſins from their preſent puniſhments: Neque enim ut quiſque deterior eſt, ita primus ad paenam trahitur; for every one that is worſe than others, is not therefore drawn firſt to puniſhment; Sed cum paucos ex multis puniendos Deus eligit, in eorum perſonâ relinquis denunciat, ſe fore ultorem, ut omnes turreantur. But when God ſingleth a few out of many to be puniſhed, he threateneth, that he will be an avenger to the reſt, that all may be terrified. For your part, O thou diſtreſſed City of London, ſay thou therefore with the Prophet; Rejoyce not over me O Enemy; for thought I have fallen, I ſhall riſe again, though I now ſit in darkneſs, the Lord ſhall be a light unto me, I will patiently bear the indignation of the Lord, becauſe I have ſinned againſt him, Mich. 7.8, 9. and if any inſult too much, or cenſure too hard of your calamity, and glory in their own proſperity, let Chriſt give them their anſwer; unleſs they repent, they ſhall all likewiſe periſh.
SECT. V.
God in taking away outward comforts from us, doth thereby teach us to know how to want, as well as to abound. I know both how to be abaſed, and I know how to abound; every where, and in all things, I am inſtructed both to be full, and to be hungry, both to abound▪ and to ſuffer need, Phil. 4.12. Although ſome of theſe outward things are in ſome degree neceſſary for this preſent life, yet our heavenly Father knoweth how far forth they are neceſſary, and how much is neceſſary for us, or elſe gives us content in himſelf immediately without them: yet theſe things are not ſo needful as they are commonly ſuppoſed to be: it is wonderful to conſider what ſweet joy and content many a Childe of God hath had; when they have been ſtript of theſe things; and the reaſon is, becauſe when the people of God do want theſe things, they do more fully apply themſelves to God; when a Chriſtian is ſtript of theſe, and hath none of theſe things to reſt upon, then the affections of the ſoul are like water running one way in one Channel: whatſoever S. Pauls outward condition was, he could find enough in Chriſt to be content; in particular, he knew how to be abaſed, ſweetly ſatisfying himſelf in this, that he was an adopted Son of God, and he knew how to be hungry, becauſe he had bread and meat to feed on that the world knew not of, and could feaſt himſelf with marrow and fatneſs at that time, when carnal eyes thought him ready to periſh for hunger: he knew alſo how to ſuffer want, contenting himſelf with that abundance that is found in Chriſt: Many evil men have been forced to ſuffer need, but were never inſtructed to it as Paul was; they never learnt to relieve themſelves in their wants out of the fulneſs of Chriſt, as the Saints do, who (be their wants never ſo great) do find enough in Chriſt to ſatisfie them all. Again, the Lord doth immediately fill and ſatisfie the ſoul with himſelf, when it lies under many outward wants, and repleniſheth them with abundance of joy, when they are under many occaſions of ſadneſs and ſorrow. So ſaith the Apoſtle, 2 Cor. 6. 10. As ſorrowful, yet alwayes rejoycing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet poſſeſſing all things: He was filled with the joy of the Holy Ghoſt at the ſame time when he had many outward occaſions of ſorrow: as poor in reſpect of worldly enjoyments, yet being able to enrich others in God; as having nothing (nothing of the world) yet poſſeſſing all things in God. Thus doth the Lord glorifie the All-ſufficiency of his grace, in giving in himſelf plentifully to his poor people, when they are under many outward ſtraits and wants.
Moreover, there are many things which we fondly perſwade our ſelves we can in no wiſe want, while we poſſeſs them; but when they are taken from us, God teacheth us how to live without them. One that was formerly rich, and fared delicately, having by the providence of God, loſt all, being brought to a hard pinch, is glad of a meſs of pottage to his dinner, and to go to bed ſupperleſs; he is then taught to be content with his mean eſtate, and to ſay, I had not thought I could have lived ſo ſparingly. Drexelius tells us of a prodigal Knight, who having buried all his ſubſtance in Banquets and Belly-cheer, and for want of an Horſe, being forced to go on foot, in this ebbe praiſed God, and ſaid; I thank God, who hath ſet me on my own legs again; I had not thought before this, that I was ſo good a footman: So God dealeth with many men, he reduceth them to a mediocrity and temperance, by a wholſome penurious indigence. Many while they abound in all outward comforts, are apt to ſay, one thus; I muſt have ſo many diſhes at my table, I cannot not keep houſe without ſuch an annual income; I cannot endure hunger or ſcarcity: Another ſaith, I cannot want ſleep, nor endure watching; I muſt have ſuch conveniencies and accommodations: but now when God takes away theſe outward comforts from us, takes away our dainty diſhes, our aſſociates, our ſleep, and turneth our Wine into water, and turneth us out of houſe and home, then God inſtructeth us how to want, how to ſuffer need, how to faſt and watch, and live under decks, or lie upon the ground, or in a priſon, or to live in baniſhment, and then we need not care where or in what condition we be, if the Lord be with us.