The Great Mystery of Providence, Tract
GEN. XLV. 8.
—So that it was not you that ſent me hither, but GOD.
THE joyful diſcovery of Joſeph to his Brethren, I have already ſpoken of out of this Chapter, after his rough treating of them: after ſo many Fears and Dangers, at laſt the Sun breaks out from theſe Clouds, and then he cries out, I am Joſeph. And there I handled, that this was an Emblem of God's dealing with his own People; He leads them at firſt into crooked Paths, but then after all theſe Tempeſts and Storms there will be Joy and Peace at the laſt. And I propoſed to you, how that after ſome great Affliction, but above all Spiritual Deſertion, when God has ſhewn himſelf a long time as it were an Enemy to his People, at laſt he ſhines forth, and ſaith, I am your God and Saviour. The ſecond thing I have handled, is, Joſeph's pardoning and loving his Brethren, that had ſo barbarouſly ſold him to be a Slave: he is now ſo far from revenging himſelf of them, that he loves and embraces them. And upon this I handled that high and excellent Duty of loving and forgiving thoſe that injure us; that the true and nobleſt way of revenging Injuries, was, by overcoming Evil with Good. I come now to the next thing, and that is, the Arguments Joſeph makes uſe of to comfort his Brethren that were ſo overcome with Shame and Fear. He doth three times repeat it; the firſt is drawn from the Providence of God in working this great thing, It was not you that ſent me hither, but God; as if he ſhould have ſaid, Do not look any more upon Second Cauſes: It is true, it was a Fault in you who ſold me, but look upon the good Hand and Providence of God in it, God ſent me before you, and it was not you that ſent me hither, but God. This ſo frequent inculcating of it, was to raiſe up them, and alſo us, to a ſerious Contemplation, how all the Evils of Men are order'd by the wiſe Providence of God to good purpoſes. In this action God and they both worked together; they ſold Joſeph, and God ſent him for Good, for the preſervation of God's Church in Jacob's Family. I ſhall, by God's aſſiſtance, ſix here for ſome time upon the Providence of God in over-ruling the Actions of wicked Men.
Firſt, Here is an Ingenioſa Charitas; ſee how often Joſeph repeats his acknowledgments of the Hand and Providence of God in this matter. I obſerve there is nothing will make us more willing to forgive them that have done us any Injury, than to look up to the Providence of God, and refer all to that: we are apt to look to Inſtruments and Second Cauſes, and not think of the Hand of God in them.
Secondly, God ſent me before you, to preſerve you a Poſterity, and to ſave your Lives by a great Deliverance; and it was not you that ſent me hither, but God. I obſerve here God's gracious Providence and Care over his Church and Children, ſo long before providing for their Safety. It is one of the moſt excellent Obſervations of God's Providence towards his Children in the whole Scripture, When God intended to bring a moſt dreadful Famine upon the World (in which Jacob and his Family might probably have periſhed) yet God made a proviſion for him and them 20 years before-hand, in ſuch a way as Jacob and Joſeph never thought of; He ſends Joſeph 20 years before hand to be a Harbinger for his Church and People: God, after a ſecret and ineffable manner, does order all Events ſo, that at laſt they tend to the good of his Church; as we find ſeveral croſs Providences in this Hiſtory of Joſeph and his Brethren, yet they all contribute to this good end and concluſion. This ſhould teach us, in all the Difficulties and Troubles that beſal God's Church, and when we know not what will become of us, to reſign up all to the Providence of God, he will take care and provide for us by ſuch means as we little dream of.
Thirdly I ſhall treat of the Providence of God in governing and over-ruling the Actions of wicked Men, It was not you that ſent me hither, but God: and yet certainly, Beloved, they had a hand in the Action. I obſerve from hence, it was God that overruled their Counſels; all the Actions of ſinful Men, yea, of the Devils themſelves, are ordered by a ſtrange but yet moſt wiſe Councel of God himſelf. It is a point of great concern to reſolve how the Righteouſneſs and Holineſs of God can conſiſt in ordering and ruling of the Sins of Mankind. There is a great Difference among Interpreters, how to reconcile the Providence of God in the Actions of ſinful Men with his Holineſs, Juſtice, and the Liberty and Freedom of Mankind. Therefore,
Firſt, I ſhall demonſtrate from this Example, That all the Actions of Men, even their ſinful Actions, are under the Providence of God, they ſold Joſeph, and God ſent him.
Secondly, I ſhall enquire what Eſſiciency or Concurrence the holy God hath in the ſinful Actions of Ungodly Men.
Thirdly, I ſhall enquire into the Ends of ſuch Orderings, how God works, and ordains the Actions of wicked Men to Ends beyond what they deſired or deſigned. This is a point that I look upon as moſt ſeaſonable, to be well weighed and conſidered under our preſent Diſquiets and Fears.
I ſhall begin with the firſt, That the Actions of Men and Devils, both good and bad, yea, all the Sins of wicked Men and Devils, are under the government of the Providence of God. (1.) I ſhall prove the point by four or five places of Scripture, the firſt ſhall be drawn from thoſe general places in Scripture, that aſcribe every thing to the Will and Providence of God; ſo Pſal. 35.6. Whatever the Lord pleaſed, that did he in Heaven and in Earth. There is nothing comes to paſs without the Will of God, Dan 4.35. He doth according to his will in all the armies of Heaven and Earth, and none can ſtay his hand. Voluntas Dei eſt omnium rerum neceſſitas. There are many things, it is true, that are contrary to the preceptive part of God's Will, but there is nothing comes to paſs without the Providence of God, or againſt what he would have done: yea, the Devils themſelves, when they moſt croſs the preceptive Will of God, they do then moſt fulfill the Will of his Providence; There are many devices in the heart of man but the councel of the Lord that ſhall ſtand. Whatever deſigns Men or Devils may have, yet he tells us, they all act but according to the providential Will of God. The (2.) Head is this, That ſuch Actions as are brought to paſs by wicked Men, are ſaid to be done by the eternal Councel and Ordination of God, they are the Contrivance of God's Decrees: it was ſo in this caſe of Joſeph, God had decreed Joſeph's advancement in Egypt, yet this was not brought to paſs without the Sin of his Brethren. I will give you one Inſtance in Scripture, That Action that proved the greateſt Bleſſing to Mankind of any in the World, yet was brought to paſs by the greateſt Villany in the Inſtruments that ever was in the World, I mean the Suffering of our Bleſſed Lord and Saviour, Acts 2.23. Him being delivered by the determinate counſel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken, and by wicked hands crucified and ſlain. In the ſame Action there was the Wickedneſs and Envy of the Scribes and Phariſees, there was the Villany and Treachery of Judas, in betraying of him, yet he ſaith all this was done by the determinate counſel and foreknowledge of God. So Acts 4.27, 28. For of a truth againſt thy holy child Jeſus, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, and the Gentiles and people of Iſrael, were gathered together, for to do whatſoever thy hand and thy counſel determined before to be done. This is a ſingular Comfort, that all things come to paſs not according to wicked Mens Counſels, but according to what God doth determine. (3.) Wicked Men, when they do the unjuſteſt actions, yet they are ſaid to be the Inſtruments of God's Providence, to execute his Counſels, his Deſigns, and Purpoſes; I will give you ſome ſew of them: Iſa. 10.5. God's Church were to be invaded by the Aſſyrians, O Aſſyrain, the rod of mine anger, and the ſtaff in their hand is mine indignation; I will ſend him againſt an hypocritical nation. Well, look to the 7th Verſe, Howbeit he meaneth not ſo, neither doth he think ſo, but it is in his heart to deſtroy and cut off nations. That is, this proud Prince thinks of nothing of God's Providence and Purpoſes in this matter, his deſign is to gratifie his Pride, and Revenge, and Covetouſneſs, but God Almighty gives way to it for other holy and wiſe ends. And again v. 15. Shall the ax beaſt it ſelf againſt him that heweth therewith? or, ſhall the ſaw magnifie it ſelf againſt him that ſhaketh it? There is a great emphaſis in theſe words, to ſhew, that wicked Men and their Actions are all in the Hands of God, as the Ax and the Saw in the Hand of the Workman. (4.) That even when wicked Men go about wicked Actions, God is ſaid to ſtir them up to it: ſo in this Inſtance of Joſeph, and in that Iſa. 10.6. God is ſaid to ſend the Aſſyrians againſt an hypocritical Nation, to puniſh and chaſtiſe them. So 2 Sam. 12.11. you ſee there (Beloved) God threatens to raiſe up evil againſt David in his own houſe, that is, by the Rebellion of his Son Abſalom, and his Villany and Inſolence againſt his Father's Wives and Concubines; but was God the cauſe of this Wickedneſs in Abſalom? No, but Abſalom having theſe Luſts in him, God permitted him to exerciſe them for the puniſhment of David's Sin. So 2 Sam. 16.11. Shimei doth unjuſtly revile David, but ſaith David, The Lord hath ſent Shimei to curſe David; but this was to puniſh David for his former Sins: Pſal. 105.23. it is ſaid, He turned the hearts of the Egyptians to hate his people, and to deal ſubtilly with his ſervants; He made uſe of their Sin for righteous ends. (5.) I do obſerve out of Scripture that the Children of God, whenever they ſuffered moſt unjuſtly from wicked Men, yet they have not imputed it ſo much to the Inſtruments as to the Juſtice of God; as for example, I will give you here an Inſtance in Joſeph, It was not you that ſent me hither, but God, ſaith he. Thus in holy Job you ſhall ſee what a complication of Wickedneſs there was to bring about his afflictions, there was the Devil's Malice ſeeking to ruine and deſtroy him, there was alſo the Malice of wicked Men, the Chaldeans and Sabeans, and yet Job 1.21. he aſcribes all to the Providence of God, The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away, bleſſed be the name of the Lord. So David, when his Son Abſalom rebelled againſt him, ſtill he cries, It is the Lord, &c. Thus in the Book of the Lamentations, when Iſrael had been ſo barbarouſly deſtroyed by their Enemies, yet they referred all to the Providence of God: yea, (Beloved) in that act of the betraying and murthering of our Saviour, thô there was ſo much Wickedneſs in Men, yet our bleſſed Saviour expreſly ſaith, it was the cup that his heavenly Father gave him to drink; and therefore in all unjuſt oppreſſions it is our work and duty to look above Men to the Providence of God, therefore we muſt hear the voice of the Rod, and him who hath appointed it, and not dwell too much upon the Inſtruments or Second Cauſes, they are but as the Ax or the Staff, or the Rod, it is God's Hand that limits, orders, and appoints them for holy and gracious ends. And ſo much for the firſt part, how that all the Actions of wicked Men are ordered by the Will and Providence of God.
Secondly, I come now to enquire how far the holy and righteous God can or doth concur in the evil actions of Men; that He doth ſo, is moſt certain, but how far, is the Queſtion, and moſt Interpreters have been puzl'd in this matter, but I ſhall endeavour to do it firſt negatively, for I will tell you, the truth lies between two Extreams; (1.) It is the higheſt Blaſphemy for any, from theſe places of Scripture, to charge God with being the Author of Sin. (2.) There is another Extream to be avoided, to think this Providence of God is only a bare permiſſion of Sin; and then I ſhall ſhew you afterward more particularly of the influence and concurrence of the moſt holy, wiſe, and good God in the evil actions of wicked Men. Firſt, Almighty God is not, neither can be, the Author or proper Cauſe of any Sin: that I ſhall lay down for a great truth, that He never works Sin it ſelf, or moves us to ſin inwardly; that He doth not neceſſitate Men to ſin, becauſe from theſe concluſions ſome Adverſaries would charge Sin upon God. God can neither do Sin nor compel us to ſin; to affirm this would be very Blaſphemy; for, firſt, God is the Supream Good, he is all Goodneſs, Holineſs, and Light, and there can be no Evil, no Darkneſs in him; for to aſcribe Evil of Sin to the Supream Good, is to make light the cauſe of darkneſs: Heb. 6.18. It is impoſſible for God to lye. Again, he that hates Sin, he that forbids it and ſeverely puniſhes it, it is impoſſible he ſhould be the Author of Sin. It would be the unjuſteſt thing in the World for God to puniſh that which himſelf cauſes. Again I conſider, if God ſhould do ſo, Sin would be no Sin, for all Sin is that which is a contrariety to God's Will and Law; and therefore the Apoſtle St. James tells us, Let no man ſay when he is tempted that he is tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil nether tempteth he any man. It is inconſiſtent with the holineſs and purity of God, to be in any wiſe the Author of Sin; therefore St Baſil ſaith, It is as high a Blaſphemy to make God the Author of Sin, as to deny him to be a God. No, beloved, all Sin comes from the Creature, Thy deſtruction is of thy ſelf, tho' God makes uſe of it for gracious purpoſes; as for example, the Envy and Malice of Joſeph's Brethren came from themſelves, but only God ordered it for the good of his People. We muſt diſtinguiſh between the cauſe of Sin and the uſe of Sin; Man is the cauſe of Sin and the Actor of Sin, but God can uſe Sin for purpoſes beyond what Man deſign'd by it. You know the Viper has Poyſon in it, which is of a deſtructive nature, and yet a skilful Phyſician can make uſe of this Poyſon as an Antidote againſt Poyſon. I will draw this as a ſecond Caution, That in God's ordering and making uſe of Sin there is more than his bare permiſſion of Sin, that is, to let Men be wicked, and take no farther care in it. No, I ſay, in all thoſe places I have quoted, as his ſending Joſeph into Egypt, &c. it implies an Efficiency. The moſt Sins that are done in the World are done by evil Men, and tho' God be not the Author, yet he is the Orderer, the Governor and Diſpoſer of them. A wiſe King can make uſe of a Traytor to bring to paſs his own ends, ſo God makes uſe of wicked mens Sins to work contrary to their ends. So Joſeph's Brethren never thought of bringing about God's end in their malice againſt him. So a Phyſician applys Leaches to draw out corrupt Blood, but they only deſire to ſatisfie their Luſt. So God makes uſe of wicked mens Covetouſneſs and Ambition to chaſtiſe his People, and do them good.
SECT. II.
I Shall now enter upon this great Point, (but I muſt tell you with as much fear and trembling as ever I did upon any Subject) namely, How far the holy and wiſe God doth or may concur in the evil actions of ſinful Men. I ſhall keep cloſe to the Scripture, and ſhew you in nine particulars.
1. God doth concur by permitting of them, that is, by not hindring the committing thoſe Sins as he might have done; and this is expreſſed Acts 14.16. He ſuffer'd them to walk in their own ways, ſaith the Apoſtle. I confeſs, 'tis very clear ſo far, for no Sin in the World could be done if God did not permit them. And I will ſhew you ſeveral ways whereby God hinders the commiſſion of Sin: thus he hinder'd Abimelech from committing folly with Abraham's Wife, Gen. 20.6. ſo he hinder'd Balaam, when he came with a reſolution to curſe Iſrael, he hinder'd Eſau from hurting his Brother Jacob. Nay, the Devils in Hell are under Chains, God can hinder them, and does hinder them, when he will. We read he could not touch Job nor his Cattel, till God had given him liberty. There are ſeveral ways and means whereby God does this, (1.) By taking away the power of wicked Men, as he did of Jeroboam, when he ſtretched forth his hand againſt the Prophet, ſometime when he ſtirs up another power to deliver his People from Oppreſſion, ſometimes by ſecretly enclining the Hearts of Men to do good to ſuch as they deſigned to hurt, as he did by Laban, when he went after Jacob: ſo God ſent Abigail to divert David from exerciſing his intended Revenge againſt Nabal. Now when God removes theſe impediments, this is the firſt way of God's concurrence, when he does it by his permiſſion; and for this we are much obliged to God, for keeping wicked Men and Devils in Bonds, and for limiting their Malice and Enmity, for if God ſhould give leave to them to execute their Power and Malice, all the World would quickly be in flames.
2. God concurs in the evil actions of Men by a general concurrence and co-operation in the action it ſelf, for you muſt know God Almighty has an immediate influence and concourſe in all the actions of his Creatures, both good and bad, Acts 17.28. In him we live and move and have our being. It is that which all Chriſtians and moſt Philoſophers do agree in, That all actions of the Creature do depend upon the motion and influence of the firſt Cauſe. I will inſtance in thoſe that curſe and ſwear and blaſpheme the Name of God, they could not move their Tongues, if God did not give them leave, and co-operate in the action: ſo the power whereby a Thief ſteals is from God. But here they do not make God the cauſe of their Sin in a moral but in a phyſical ſence: they ſay well. That God doth concur as to the natural action it ſelf, but not to the ſinfulneſs in that action: God concurrs to the natural action, but the obliquity of it proceeds from the wickedneſs of the Sinner's Will.
3. God doth concur by his Providence, in adminiſtring occaſions and opportunities which wicked Men do abuſe to Sinfulneſs. So Jer. 5.22. God tells us of laying a stambling block in the way of Sinners; He gives or lays before them things that perhaps are not ſinful in themſelves, as when he gives to wicked men Health, Strength, Wealth, Proſperity, Beauty, &c. theſe have no harm in themſelves, but when they take occaſion to abuſe them to their Luſts, and there are ſome that make their Table a Snare to them: Nay, thoſe things that in their own nature would tend to make them better, yet they take occaſion to make themſelves worſe by them: as for inſtance, How often does good Admonition make ſome Men the worſe? nay, I tell you, the very Divinity and Miracles of Chriſt did harden the Phariſees Hearts; nay, ſometimes when God by his Providence does ſuffer Men to fall into wicked Company, as he did Joſeph, when his Brethren deſign'd to murther him, God did at the ſame time order ſome Midianites to go by, that they might ſell him to them.
The fourth way of God's concurrence is, by withdrawing his Grace, and leaving Men to the power of their Luſts. Wicked men have a violent inclination to many Sins, which God in his Providence many times reſtrains, but when he leaves them up to themſelves, they quickly run into the commiſſion of them, they are oftentimes as a Dog chained up, that cannot do the Miſchief he has a mind to. When God ſaith of wicked Men as he did to Ephraim, when he was joyned to Idols, Let him alone; when God leaves them ſo to their Sin, as to be without any Afflictions or Terrors of Conſcience, it is the moſt dreadful Judgment in the World. And by this you may underſtand thoſe Scriptures where God is ſaid to blind and harden Sinners Hearts: This is moſt righteous and juſt, that they who deſpiſe God's Grace, and wilfully run into Sin, that God ſhould puniſh them with their own Sins, and ſay, He that is filthy let him be filthy ſtill; O, this is the moſt dreadful Judgment in the World, when Men are given up by God to their own Luſts.
The fifth way is, when God leaves Sinners to the temptations of the Devil, or of wicked Men, as, when he leaves them up to wicked Acquaintance, to tempt them and flatter them in their ſins. I will give you 2 or 3 Inſtances in Scripture: thus God permitted a lying Spirit to go forth in the Nation of the Iſraelites, God ſaith Go, and thou ſhalt prevail; ſo Ezek. 14. God tells them, that for the Sins of the People he would leave them up to wicked and falſe Prophets, and when they come to enquire of them they ſhall deceive them, and this as a Puniſhment of their former Sins. So 2 Theſ. 2. the coming and prevailing of Antichriſt is there ſaid to be with all deceivableneſs of unrighteouſneſs, with all power, and ſigns, and lying wonders. God may ſuffer falſe Prophets to work ſigns and wonders, and to come with all deceivableneſs of unrighteouſneſs, but what was the reaſon? becauſe they did not receive the truth in the love of it, that they might be ſaved; and therefore God gave them over to ſtrong Deluſions, to believe Lyes, that they may be damned. I pray God we are not in a great meaſure concerned in this point; you ſee God hath ſent forth a lying Spirit, whereby our Adverſaries have drawn away thouſands, what is the reaſon? becauſe they have not lived up to the Light of the Goſpel. When Popery comes, it makes People unnatural to Parents, to deſtroy Cities and Kingdoms; why certainly Beloved, as the Apoſtle ſaith, 2 Tim. 2.16. ſuch are taken captive of the Devil at his will, that is, whatever Sin the Devil gives them opportunity to commit, when he tempts them to Uncleanneſs or Drunkenneſs, they are ready to act it: ſuch, like Judas, are given into the full poſſeſſion of Satan.
A ſixth way of God's Providence in ſinful actions (and I deſire you to take notice of it) is a directing by his ſecret Providence the Sinner to ſuch or ſuch a particular Object, which perhaps he was indifferent to before: as for example ſake, a wicked Man may be covetous, or angry, or cruel, now it may be indifferent to him which of theſe Sins he commits, but God in his ſecret Providence lets him go out upon one and not upon another, like a great Maſtiff in chains, it is indifferent to him who he bites and hurts if he be looſed, but the Owner lets him looſe upon one that he would have him hurt, and he accordingly falls upon him. And therefore Solomon tells us, A man deviſeth his own way, but the Lord directs his steps. Nebuchadnezzar the great King of Babylon was reſolved to fall upon ſome of his Neighbours, he could not tell whether he ſhould fall upon Amon or Judea, now God in his Providence directed him to fall upon Judea; ſo 1 Chron. 5.26. it is ſaid, God ſtirred up the ſpirit of Pul to go againſt Iſrael; and this is done without any Sin to be therefore imputed to God. It is ſaid, the hearts of Kings are in the hand of the Lord, and he turns them as the rivers of water. It is an aluſion to thoſe Countries where there was little Rain from Heaven, all their Gardens and Meadows were water'd by ſtanding Waters or Pools, where they had Sluces and Gutters, which they could pull up, and ſo let the Water run which way they pleaſed. So God can order the Hearts of Kings as ſhall beſt pleaſe him.
A ſeventh way is, when God gives wicked Men power and ſucceſs, and to proſper in unjuſt actions: this is conſtantly verified in Scripture, and by Experience in the World, that God may ſuffer good People to be afflicted and injuriouſly dealt with in juſt cauſes, and wicked Men to proſper, and bring wicked and unjuſt actions to paſs: ſo when God raiſes up a great King to be a Scourge to his Neighbors, he will give him Wiſdom, Policy, and Succeſs; and alſo when the Lord is reſolved to puniſh a Nation, he can take away their Wiſdom and Succeſs. Thus God many times ſuffers the Tabernacles of Robbers to proſper, and ſuffers good men for good cauſes to fall into the hands of wicked and unreaſonable men. Chriſt himſelf ſaith, that the Power Pilate had to crucifie him, he had it from God; but you will ſay, Is this no prejudice to his Holineſs? I anſwer no, for God doth not give wicked men Succeſs as a reward of their actions, but to make uſe of them as the Inſtruments of his Providence: as, ſuppoſe a King ſhould make uſe of a very wicked man to be his Hangman, this doth not reflect upon the Goodneſs of the Prince.
The eighth way of God's Providence in governing wicked men and their actions (and I deſire you to take notice of it) is, by limiting, governing, and diſpoſing wicked men and their actions, that they ſhall not be able to hurt whom they will, nor when they will, but juſt ſo far as God would have it: as we find in Joſeph's Brethren, their deſign was to murther him, but (1.) God ſtirs up Reuben to divert that purpoſe: well, afterwards God, to bring his Ends to paſs, lets them ſell him, and at that very moment orders the Midianites to come by. How admirably was this matter ordered and limited by God? So, for the time, God will not ſuffer wicked men to act at one time, and yet will ſuffer the ſame to bring about their purpoſes at another time. So it was with the Jews, they would oftentimes have taken Chriſt, but could not, becauſe the hour was not yet come; but afterwards he tells them, I taught daily in the temple, and you laid no hands on me, but now is your hour. So we may obſerve how God doth ſometimes ſtop Fire from doing Miſchief, and at another time ſuffers it to break out with irreſiſtible violence: ſo alſo, for the continuance of wicked men in their actions, it is ſaid, The Rod of the wicked ſhall not always reſt upon the Lot of the righteous. It may come upon them, but it ſhall not reſt upon them: ſo God will not ſuffer good men to be tempted above what they are able; wicked men ſhall not be able to put one dram into the Cup of bitterneſs, more than what God has appointed. Indeed, this is the foundation of all our Comfort, to remember, that whatever we may ſuffer, wicked men are but as an Ax in God's Hand, they cannot, as to time, or continuance, or degrees, go beyond what God has purpoſed.
The laſt way is, by God's over-ruling and ordering the Effects of Sin beyond, and many times contrary to the purpoſe and deſign of Sinners, and this makes up the compleat government of Sin. So it was in Joſeph's caſe, As for you, you thought evil, but God meant it for good, to bring to paſs as it is at this day, to ſave much people alive. You meant it for evil, and indeed, beloved, in one and the ſame action there are different ends propoſed. Many times wicked men deſign nothing, but to bring about their own Malice, Covetouſneſs, and Envy, but God turns it to many wiſe and holy ends. So in Job's caſe, the Devil's deſign was to make him curſe and blaſpheme God, but God's deſign was to make Job bleſs him. So God is ſaid to ſend Aſſyria againſt Iſrael, to puniſh a hypocritical Nation, but he thinks not ſo, his deſign is to root up and deſtroy much People; his deſign was to plunder and deſtroy, but God's deſign was to correct Sin. So it was in the Sufferings of our Bleſſed Saviour, the Phariſees out of envy ſought to murder him, Pilate only for fear condemned him; the Soldiers, all that they meant was their Profit; but now the Envy and Malice of the one, and the Covetouſneſs of the other God over-ruled, to bring to paſs the greateſt Bleſſing that ever befel Mankind, the Death and Reſurrection of Chriſt; ſo that God can make wicked men work his ends when they ſeem moſt to croſs them. Thus Phyſicians can make an Antidote to expel Poiſon out of Poiſon it ſelf. And I conclude this point in telling you, that the moſt excellent Works of God's Providence that were ever brought to paſs in the World are, when He makes uſe of the ſinful actions of Men to effect matters quite contrary to what they intended. Thus I have endeavoured to clear the Providence of God from any miſtake of Injuſtice or Unholineſs, and have ſhewn how the holy and wiſe God overrules and governs the evil actions of wicked Men and Devils.
SECT. III.
I Come now to the third Point, and that is, That God Almighty can make good uſe of the ſinful actions of wicked Men, that what they intend for Evil, that he can and often does turn to Good. This is here expreſſed in the Text, God ſent me before you to preſerve life; and I will ground this upon another expreſſion of Joſeph, Gen. 50.20. As for you, you thought evil againſt me, but God meant it for good. You ſhall obſerve in this Story, that the deſign of his Brethren was nothing but the gratifying their own Envy and Malice, in ſending him away; the Iſhmaelites in buying him meant nothing but their own profit; Potifer's Wife, we read, minded nothing but her own Luſt, and yet all theſe things were over-ruled by God Almighty for the good of his Church. I ſhall here handle, that God Almighty doth turn the Sins of wicked men to good, he makes them ſerve his deſigns for good. I ſhall here vindicate the Providence of God from the great Quarrel that has been againſt it in all Ages, by reaſon of the actions of wicked men, and the great wickedneſs that is in the World; for, it is a Saying of the Atheiſts, That if the World be governed by a God ſo juſt, holy, and wiſe, why is there ſo much wickedneſs in the World? Can he not hinder it? I ſhall therefore ſhew you, that God's permitting ſo much Sin in the World is a fruit of his infinite Goodneſs, becauſe he can bring ſo much good out of it. St. Auſtin ſaith, God, that is infinitely good and powerful, would not permit Sin in the World if he were not able to make that Sin turn to ſome great Good. All wicked Men and Devils are under God's Dominion, he over rules all their actions, and there is no Evil in ſecond cauſes, but he makes it ſerve his own holy and wiſe ends. It is true, Sin, as it is in the Creature, is the greateſt deformity, darkneſs, and diſorder in the World, but God Almighty is able to order it as a wiſe Phyſician can make uſe of Poiſon to expel Poiſon, ſo, tho' Sin in it ſelf be ſo evil, wholly evil, yet God Almighty can make it ſerve his beſt and wiſeſt ends. For the truth of this propoſition, I may obſerve to you, that the greateſt actions that ever God brought to paſs in the World have been occaſion'd by the Sins of wicked men, as the occaſion of ſending Chriſt was the Sin of Adam, and the bringing to paſs our Redemption could not be done without the concurrence of wicked actions; as, Acts 2.22. By wicked hands you have crucified and ſlain him, ſaith the Apoſtle; and Acts 4.27. For of a truth, againſt thy holy child Jeſus, Herod, Pontius Pilate, and the People of Iſrael are gathered together. Conſider how much wickedneſs there was in that act; the Treachery of Judas, the Envy of the Phariſees, the Covetouſneſs of the Soldiers, the Cruelty of the reſt, and yet all this God made uſe of to bring to paſs the moſt glorious action that ever was in the World. I will give you ſome more Inſtances of this, and mention two things, whereby I ſhall more evidently demonſtrate, That God does make uſe of the Sins of wicked men for good purpoſes, (1.) for the manifeſtation of his own Glory. (2.) For the great good he doth thereby in the World. Rom. 3.7. The truth of God aboundeth by my lye unto his glory, and he maketh the wrath of man to praiſe him. I ſhall mention Five Attributes of God, that are more eſpecially illuſtrated by God's permitting and ordering the Sins of wicked men: (1.) The Attribute of God's Patience and Long ſuffering, he proclaims himſelf, The Lord God, merciful and long ſuffering: Where could there have been room for the exerciſe of his Patience and Long-ſuffering, if there be no Sin? So Rom. 9 22. How ſhould we know God's Patience, if with much long ſuffering he did not endure the veſſels of wrath fitted to deſtruction. (2.) The glory of his Juſtice: God's puniſhing of Sinners could not have been known without the permiſſion of Sin: I will get my ſelf glory over Pharoah; how ſo? by executing my Judgments upon him for Sin; For this cauſe have I raiſed thee up, that I may ſhew forth my power in thee, and make known my glory in all the earth. And there is no queſtion but the Glory of God is ſhewn forth in the manifeſtation of his Wrath, both here and hereafter. (3.) The Glory of his Mercy and Free Grace appears in pardoning Sin; how could that have been done if there had been no Sin? Rom. 5.20. Where ſin abounded grace did much more abound. In a word, all the Riches of God's Mercy and Goodneſs and Free Grace to the Creature ſuppoſes Sin, it could not be without Sin; had Man remained without Sin, Chriſt had never died, there had been no Covenant of Grace. (4.) The Glory of God's admirable Wiſdom appears in ordering and governing the Sins of the World; the chief part of his Wiſdom conſiſts in bringing to paſs thoſe ends by means that ſeem moſt improbable and unlikely. Thus 'tis in matters of State-policy; it is the greateſt part of Wiſdom to know how to govern evil and diſcontented Subjects. There is nothing in the World ſo contrary in it ſelf to the Glory of God as Sin is, nothing that God more hates. Now, is not this the glory of his Wiſdom, to make wicked Men and Devils themſelves, when they ſtrive moſt to oppoſe his glory than to do him moſt honour. I will give you ſeveral Inſtances; ſometimes in oppoſing the Counſels of wicked men, and taking them in their own craft; and ſo He did Pharoah, that what wicked men deſign for the ruine of his People, he can turn it to their advantage. Nazianzen ſaith, That the Maſterpiece of God's wiſdom is, to make Enemies do his own work. Laſtly, It makes appear the greatneſs of his Power; the greatneſs of his power appears in working without means, or contrary to means; it was to make a thing of nothing when God created the World: yet there ſeems to be greater power in turning Evil to Good than in making the World, becauſe here is nothing to contribute, but all as may be to oppoſe it: It is the Almighty Power of God that brings light out of darkneſs, and evil out of good, and the greateſt good out of the greateſt evil.
The ſecond general Head is, to ſhew the good that God works in the World by wicked Men. I beſeech you to mind theſe things. (1.) God makes uſe of wicked men ſometimes as the Inſtruments of his Vengeance to puniſh other wicked men; thus many times he uſes evil Angels, but eſpecially evil men, to deſtroy his Enemies, one wicked man to execute his Juſtice upon another: ſo he doth when he raiſeth up great Princes to be Inſtruments of his Vengeance and Plagues upon a wicked Nation. Thus God raiſed up Nebuchadnezzar to puniſh Iſrael when they had ſinned, but he dreamed nothing at all of ſerving God's Ends, but only his own Ambition, but yet he was God's Inſtrument. Many times we are ready to quarrel at God's Providence, when we ſee wicked Princes conquer, and deſtroy, and invade when they have no juſt Right, but we conſider not they are acted by a higher Hand: ſometimes God doth it by private men, ſometimes he raiſeth up one Oppreſſor to puniſh another Oppreſſor, ſometimes he raiſes up rebellious Children to puniſh Parents who had been diſobedient when they were Children, ſometimes he puniſhes ſome perſons with Treachery and Unfaithfulneſs, which had been formerly treacherous and unfaithful themſelves. (2.) God makes uſe of the Sins of wicked men to chaſtiſe and puniſh his own People when they have offended and ſinned againſt him; God makes the Sins of wicked men as Rods to chaſtiſe them, and bring them back from their wandrings. I will give you one or two famous Inſtances of this, Iſa. 10.5. O Aſſyrian, the rod of mine anger, the staff in their hand is my indignation: ſee the 6, & 7, to the 12. ver. God tells us he had a work to do by the King of Aſſyria, namely, to puniſh a hypocritical Nation, but his deſign was only to kill and deſtroy. Another Inſtance you have 2 Sam. 12.11. and ſo on. You know David had ſinned a great Sin, an indelible Sin, that God always remembred, tho' upon David's Repentance God pardon'd him, yet he told him, he would raiſe up a Sword out of his own Bowels to correct him: firſt, one of his own Sons inceſtuouſly raviſhes his own Siſter, then Abſalom murthers his Brother, then God raiſes up this Son to be a ſcourge to him by lying with his Wives and Concubines, and after by raiſing up a long Rebellion againſt him: And, how many Sins were committed in theſe matters, and yet all this God made uſe of for chaſtiſing of David, and bringing him to Repentance? I will give you a familiar Inſtance to illuſtrate this to you, from a Leach's drawing of Blood; the Phyſician applys them, they draw Blood to ſatisfie their natural inclination, but the Phyſician uſes them to draw away ill humors: ſo wicked men afflict God's people from the hatred they bear them, but God deſigns it to correct and humble them for Sin, and ſo to bring them to Repentance. (3.) God makes uſe of the Sins of wicked men for the tryal of the Graces of his own Children; and this is another admirable End, to uſe the Sins of wicked men to make good men ſo much the better: This evidently appears in the famous ſtory of Job, the Devil meerly out of malice tempts him to curſe God, but God makes uſe of it to encreaſe Job's Graces. I will inſtance in two points more; (1.) When God ſuffers Falſe Prophets, Seducers, and Hereticks to go about to undermine the True Religion in a Nation, this is a very ſad Providence, yet God has his ends in it, to try his own Children, and make them more ſtedfaſt in the Truth. So Deut. 13. the Lord tells them, He permits falſe Prophets to come among them, ſuch as may give Signs and Wonders, which may come to paſs: and ſee what is the reaſon of all this; The Lord thy God doth it to prove thee, and to know whether thou wilt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy ſoul. And this ſame thing is more expreſs in 1 Cor. 11.19. where the Apoſtle tells them, There muſt be hereſies, that they which are approved may be made manifeſt. God ſuffers Seducers to come into a Church, the better to eſtabliſh good men in the Truths they have received. It is true, ignorant and unſtable men are quickly drawn aſide to Errors, but when the true Religion is ſhaken by Errors and Hereſies, there is nothing makes good men more to look about them, to examine diligently the Truths of Religion, and to conform themſelves more carefully to them: ſo the wicked Practices and Lives of ſome makes thoſe that are good men more diligent, more watchful, and more exact in their Converſations, and it is but Reaſon, for good men ought to live ſo, as to be God's Witneſſes againſt a wicked World. Good men are the beſt in wicked times and places; the beſt Proteſtants are thoſe that live in Popiſh Countries. Jer. 24. the Prophet makes mention of two Baskets of Figs, the one exceeding good, and the other exceeding bad, which were to ſet forth the ſtate of the Church in that day, when there were great Corruptions among them, the good are ordinarily very good, and the bad are very bad. Now it is our Duty to be burning and ſhining Lights in the midſt of a crooked and perverſe generation; when we ſee Intemperance abound, to be ſo much the more ſtrict; when we ſee Uncleanneſs not only to over-run the Land, but to grow bold and impudent; now to be more ſevere and chaſt, when you ſee People begin to be atheiſtical, neglect the Service of God, then more firmly to reſolve, As for me and my houſe, we will ſerve the Lord. Evil times lay Obligations upon good Chriſtians to be ſo much the better. (4.) God makes uſe of the Sins of wicked men to exerciſe the Patience, and thereby to encreaſe the Reward of good men, who had heard of Joſeph's Chaſtity, if it had not been for the Luſt of his Miſtris, for without wicked men there could be no Perſecution, and if there be no Perſecution, where can there be any Rewards for Patience? In a word, had there not been Perſecution, where had been the Glory of Martyrdom? Thus God ſo orders it, that when wicked men ſeek moſt to deſtroy the Church, then he makes it ſo much the more glorious. It was a great Saying of a Martyr, Come ye wicked Heathens, bring more Wracks, more Fire, more Torments, for hereby you add to my glory. Laſtly, the over-ruling Providence of God appears in making the Sins of wicked men, which were acted on purpoſe to fruſtrate his Purpoſes, the very proper means to bring them to paſs. What was more contrary to God's Purpoſe of advancing Joſeph, than to let him be ſold for a Slave, and thruſt into Priſon. So in the Story of Haman and Mordecai in the Book of Eſther, there was Haman's Envy, and Pride, and Malice, and barbarous Deſign of deſtroying all the Jews, yet God made all theſe croſs Providences to be a means for the preſervation and advancement of his Church. Thus, beloved, God can do good to his Church and Children by them that intended no ſuch matter, as you may be ſure. So Jehu was a means to make a great Reformation in Iſrael, to purge them from Idolatry; but, had Jehu any ſuch intent? No, all his intent was to ſet up his own Houſe by it. Another Inſtance we have in Cyrus, who, like other Heathen Princes, ſought his own Wealth and Glory, yet he is ſaid to be the Lord's Anointed, and to be raiſed up for the ſake of Jacob his Servant. Nay, how many times has God made the Luſts of Men, the Ambition of Men, to ſerve thoſe Ends of his, which they never dreamed of. The Papiſts tell us, it was the Luſt and Ambition of Hen. 8. that was the occaſion of our Reformation in Religion; why, beloved, we deny it not but God can make uſe of theſe to bring about good ends. We read in Acts 8. there was a great Perſecution againſt the Church, and, what was the end God had in it? It was to ſcatter the Diſciples in all parts of Judea and Samaria, where they preached the Word: why, if it had not been for this Perſecution, it is probable they might have continued too long in Jeruſalem. So 1 Phil. 12. the Devil ſeeing St. Paul ſo uſeful a Miniſter of Chriſt, cauſes him to be put in Priſon, but what was the end of it? Thoſe things which hapned to me are fallen out to the greater advancement of the Goſpel, ſo that many of the Brethren being confirmed by my bonds, have been ſo much the more bold to preach the Goſpel without fear. The Church of God, like the Vine, flouriſhes the better for being cut and pruned, and it was grown a Proverb in the Primitive Church, The Blood of the Martyrs is the Seed of the Church. I could give you Inſtances of this Providence of God in many private perſons, where the malice of their Enemies has been a means to bring them to the higheſt advancements. I could tell you of a perſon that was falſely accuſed of a Murder, and having clear'd himſelf, the then Emperor took great notice of it, and advanced him to be a Captain, and afterwards he came to be Emperor himſelf. How many may ſay they had been undone if they had not been undone? And thus I have clear'd up this moſt excellent point, and there is not a point of greater uſe for vindicating the Honour of God's Providence.
SECT. IV. Application.
I Shall now draw ſome Inferences from this Text thus opened, that may have an Influence either for our Inſtruction, or for the Government of our Lives, when we ſuffer by the Sins of wicked Men. I ſhall handle them by way of obſervation.
The firſt is, That God Almighty is juſt, and holy, and good, even in his governing the Sins of wicked men: This ſhall be to vindicate the Holineſs, and Juſtice, and Purity of Almighty God, in his concurrence with the ſinful Actions of Men; it is one of the moſt difficult points in Religion, and one of the greateſt depths of the Providence of God; to clear it up, I ſhall begin with this Story: that is, Joſeph's being ſold into Egypt: Here are two concurring cauſes, his Brethren ſold him, and yet God ſent him. So it is ſaid in the Acts, The Patriarchs moved with envy, ſold Joſeph into Egypt. I ſhall here clear up God's Juſtice in this matter. We read, there was firſt a Determination and Decree of God to advance Joſeph, for the preſervation of Jacob and his Family; well, to bring this to paſs, God intends to make uſe of his Brethren and their Envy and Malice to ſell him into Egypt; God does not infuſe Malice into them, nor ſtir them up to Sin, for that was in their Hearts before. But firſt, God does not hinder them. You heard before, how, when they firſt determin'd to murder Joſeph, God would not let it go that way, but when they had a mind to ſell him, he did ſuffer them, becauſe it was for his Ends: and obſerve how God order'd it, that the Merchants ſhould happen to come by that very day to whom his Brethren ſold him. It is a hard Queſtion, Why this Affliction is rather attributed to God than to them, It was not you that ſent me hither, but God; but the reaſon is God's permiſſion and offering them an occaſion in his Providence, which he knew would take effect; and therefore it was ſaid, God did it. I ſhall, as briefly as I can, open and anſwer this Queſtion: In all the Sins of the World, Let God be true, and every man a Lyar, we muſt abhor and deteſt all that does in the leaſt attribute any Sin to be God's; God neither infuſes Wickedneſs, nor tempts or ſtirs up People to ſin, but only by his Providence permits, orders, and governs it for his own wiſe and holy Ends. I will here anſwer ſome Objections briefly; (1) You will ſay, how can it ſtand with the Holineſs of God to permit Sin when he can hinder it? I anſwer, It can be no ſtain to God's Holineſs, for God doth but leave the Creature to the liberty of his own Will; and it was moſt agreeable, that thoſe whom God has made free and reaſonable Creatures ſhould not be conſtrained, but to leave wicked Men and Devils to their own Wills, eſpecially ſince God can bring ſo much Good out of Evil. But ſecondly you will ſay, Why doth God miniſter occaſion in his Providence? I anſwer, That doth not reflect upon God neither, for it is reaſonable God ſhould make a tryal of the Obedience of his Creature to him, but he could not know that, or that could not be known, if he did not leave them to their own Wills. (2.) I do conſider, that moſt of the occaſions that Men abuſe to Sin, are ſuch as in their own nature are good and naturally would drive them to Goodneſs; for, what is it that they uſe to harden themſelves with, and abuſe to Sin, but the very Bleſſings and Mercies of God.
Again, As to the other thing, God's ordering Sin to his own Glory, and the Good of his People, that cannot be any Objection againſt God's Holineſs or Juſtice: What is more reaſonable, than that God ſhould bring Glory to himſelf from wicked Men and Devils, force Glory out of them, above and contrary to their Intents. It is an Inſtance of the great Wiſdom Power, and Goodneſs of God, that there can be no Evil, but he can regulate and order for good ends. But then you may object. Doth not the Scripture ſay, God ſtirs up wicked men, and blinds them, and hardens them, and ſends them ſtrong deluſions, that they may believe a lye, and be damn'd? How can you in this vindicate the Purity and Holineſs of God? I anſwer, in all thoſe places where God is ſaid to harden the Heart, &c. We muſt underſtand, in ſome places it imports but a meer permiſſion of God, or, at moſt, but withdrawing his Grace, and leaving Men up to the Temptations of wicked Men and Devils. Secondly, God never withdraws his Grace from wicked men till they, by their former Sins, have deſerved it. So Pharoah firſt hardned his own Heart, and then God in a judicial way hardned his Heart alſo: And, beloved, what is more reaſonable, than that they that reſiſt God's motions, and give up themſelves wilfully to be ſeduced, that God ſhould leave them up to the ſeduction of the Devil and wicked Men, he doth but puniſh them with their own Sin.
The next and greateſt Objection, and moſt popular in all Ages of the World, is, God's proſpering wicked men in evil ways, and afflicting good men in good ways This was the great Objection of the Heathens, eſpecially the Epicureans, and it has been a great ſtumbling to godly men; I remember four holy men in Scripture were ſhaken, and almoſt overthrown at the thoughts of it, as Job, Job 21.6. David, Pſal. 73. Jeremiah, Jer. 12.1. and Habakkuk, Hab. 1.13. Certainly, to Heathens, and ſuch as deny future Rewards and Puniſhments, I do not know a greater Objection: But to this I anſwer, (1.) It is certain, that this Life is not intended by God to be the place of Puniſhments and Rewards, but only as a Preparation for another Life. (2.) No Man or People were ever ſo righteous, but they had Sin enough in them, which their own Conſcience tells them deſerves the greateſt Puniſhment. (3.) I do conſider, that wicked men, when God advances them, and gives them Succeſs, it is not for their ſake, or out of love to them, but becauſe he raiſeth them up in his Providence to be his Inſtruments to puniſh other wicked men; He does not give them any Succeſs for their own deſert. Now, beloved, this is the moſt reaſonable thing in the World, in all Kingdoms the vileſt of men are made uſe of for Executioners, and indeed there is none fit for this work but the wicked: Doth a Shepherd ſet his Sheep to worry one-another? Godly men are not fit or qualified to kill or plunder other men unjuſtly; therefore, I ſay, God doth not make Inſtruments of wicked men for their goodneſs, but becauſe they only are fit for ſuch Work as this is, to be God's Executioners. I remember a Story, when Phocas had murder'd the Emperor his Maſter, and made himſelf Emperor, and a holy man complaining why God ſhould ſet ſo wicked a man over the Nation, the Anſwer was, They did not deſerve a better. It is for the ſame Reaſon that God ſends Turks to oppreſs Chriſtians. Again conſider, that wicked men, even in their wicked actions, have ſecret Laſhes of Conſcience; or if they are advanced a little while, yet, as the Pſalmiſt ſaith, God ſets them in ſlippery places. That man that ſhall now ſee Pharoah ſo ſtout, and Herod ſo proud, ſtay but a while and you ſhall ſee one drowned in the Sea, and the other eaten up of Lice. Again, tho' God ſuffer good men to be afflicted of the wicked, it is for their good, it is to fit them for God and Glory, it is to rub off their Ruſt and Rubbiſh, and fit them for God. And laſtly, I ſay as St. Auſtin doth, Stay but till the Day of Recompence, and there will appear no proportion between the Wicked's Proſperity here and their Sufferings hereafter. So alſo between the Sufferings of Good Men here, and their Eternal Happineſs. Geographers tell us the World is round, notwithſtanding all the Hills and Mountains in it; but, how can that be? why, they ſay, all theſe Hills and Mountains, in compariſon of the circumference of the Earth, are nothing. So the Sufferings of the good, and the Proſperity of the wicked, may ſeem great to us here, yet compare them to Eternity, and they are nothing. Suppoſe a Perſon is condemn'd to death for High-Treaſon, and his uncharitable Friend ſhall come and make him merry and drunk, whereby he forgets his Condition, do you envy this poor man this Happineſs, when perhaps in two or three hours he muſt be hanged? So, if you could ſee a Wretch in Hell, after 40 years of Proſperity on Earth, he would tell you he had paid dear for his Happineſs: therefore the Proſperity of the wicked upon Earth is no more a ſtain to the Holineſs of God, than the Beams of the Sun upon a ſtinking Dunghill do reflect on the Sun. It was an excellent Saying of Dionyſius, All things that are ſeen in the hands of ſecond cauſes, when they once come to God's hand, he turns and orders them to excellent purpoſes. Thoſe things that are unjuſt in reſpect of Men, yet are righteous as they are Inſtruments in the hand of God's Providence: as, ſuppoſe thy Child or thy Servant ſhall prove wicked and undutiful to thee, this is unjuſt in reſpect of them, but as they are Inſtruments to puniſh thy Sins, they are juſt upon that account. I ſhall conclude this firſt Inference by ſtirring you and my ſelf up to the contemplating and admiring the Goodneſs, Wiſdom, and Juſtice of God's Providence, in governing the actions of wicked men; this is the Maſterpiece of God's Providence, as Iſa. 27.29. This alſo cometh from the Lord of hoſts, who is wonderful in counſel. Here we ſee in the higheſt ſence Sampſon's Riddle verified, That God can bring Meat out of the Eater, and Honey out of the Carcaſs; and I tell you, thô we now quarrel at Atheiſm, Debauchery, and Wickedneſs, God ſhall make manifeſt, at the laſt day, that all theſe things have worked together for the Glory of God, and the Good of them that ſerve him, and that we could not well have been without the malice and ſpight of wicked men. So much for the firſt Inference.
The ſecond Inference is this, That the concurrence of God in the Sins of wicked men doth not excuſe nor extenuate their Sin, nor diminiſh their Puniſhment. I am here, beloved, upon another deep point of the Providence of God, That the Providence of God, his Decrees, and his ordering and governing of ſinful men, do not in the leaſt excuſe them from Guilt or Puniſhment, tho' God brings Good out of their Evil. St. Paul propoſes and anſwers the Queſtion, Rom. 3.7. If the Truth of God hath more abounded thro' my Lye unto his glory, why then am I reckoned a ſinner, and not rather as we be ſlanderouſly reported? and ſome affirm, that we ſay, Let us do evil, that good may come, whoſe damnation is juſt. That is, why ſhould God count them Sinners, or puniſh them as Sinners, that have been Inſtruments to ſerve his Providence? This Objection ſome People make uſe of, not only among Heathens, but Chriſtians, you ſhall have them ſay, I could not help it, if God had not put me upon it I ſhould never have done it. I remember a Story of a Woman, a Harlot, that had three Baſtard Sons, which afterwards came to be very great and eminent Perſons, as Peter Lombard, Gracian, and Comeſtor, and when afterwards ſhe was come to Confeſſion, ſhe ſaid, ſhe could not confeſs her ſelf ſinful in this matter, becauſe her Sons proved all ſuch brave Men. But I ſhall refute this Opinion by theſe Five Conſiderations.
Firſt, The Providence of God is not given to be the Rule of our Actions, but his Commands; the Rule of our Actions is his Command, and not what he doth in his Providence: as St. Auſtin ſaith, We may will what God wills in his Providence, and yet ſin. A Parent lies ſick, his good Son is troubled, uſes all means for his recovery, God has decreed his Death, he dyes, the Son is troubled, why the Son in all this does the Will of God, tho' it do not agree with his Decrees: ſo a wicked Son may wiſh his Father's death, and God decrees it alſo, he dyes, yet tho' this Will in the Son was agreeable to God's ſecret and providential Will, it is ſinful. The Rule of our Actions is not what God wills, but what God has commanded us to do in his Word. If God's providence would excuſe Sin, no wicked Men or Devils could have been guilty of Sin.
Secondly, I anſwer, Wicked men do not aim at the Glory of God in their Sins, nor at the good God intends to bring about by them, their aims are different from God's aim, as herein Joſeph ſaith to his Brethren, Tou thought evil againſt me, but God meant it for good. Iſa. 10. the Prophet ſaith, God would ſend a Heathen Prince againſt the hypocritical Nation of the Jews, to puniſh them, but 'tis ſaid, He meant not ſo; he doth not intend to do God's Work, but all his End was, to enlarge his Dominions.
Thirdly, The Good that follows from wicked Actions is not a natural Effect of Sin, but comes only from the over ruling power of God, and ſo is meerly accidental to the Sin: as for example; Sin is directly naught, no Creature can bring Good out of it: when a man ſins, he is ſaid to break God's Laws, and ſo to reproach and diſhonour God himſelf; now if God, contrary to the nature of Sin, ſhall occaſion Good by it, Sin is ne'r the leſs Sin: as for example; Poiſon is ne'er the leſs Poiſon becauſe a wiſe Phyſician knows how to make an Antidote out of it to expel Poiſon.
Fourthly, It follows alſo, that it is righteous with God to puniſh wicked men, tho' they are Inſtruments to ſerve his Providence by their Sins; God may uſe them, and yet they deſerve puniſhment, becauſe God puniſhes them for their evil Intentions, and not according to the effect of their Sins. Herod, and Pilate, and Judas all went to Hell when God had done with them; ſo Abſalom, when God had by him puniſh'd David, then he takes him away.
Laſtly, Doth not the Intention of God's Glory excuſe the Sin? I anſwer, No; the Sin is not the leſs ſinful upon that account, as Rom. 3.8. for God needs not our Sins to bring to paſs his Glory, God will not have us break his Commands out of a pretence to bring to paſs his Glory: it is not lawful, for the greateſt Glory to God or Good of Mankind, to commit the leaſt Sin; to break God's Laws for God's Glory, is not lawful upon any pretence. And therefore they that can deceive and do Injuries to others, and perhaps their whole Lives have been a courſe of Injuſtice, and this under the thoughts and pretence of doing good with what they get, and bringing Glory to God, it is nothing elſe but a Deluſion and Deceit: But thou Hypocrite, what need has God of thy Robberies to do him ſervice? So the Jeſuites have determin'd, that in defence of the Catholick Cauſe a man may tell a Lye, becauſe it is to a good end, to carry on their Cauſe. I ſhall ſhew you ſomething of their Doctrine about Equivocation, from their own allowed Writers. (1.) It is determin'd, that officious Lyes, when they injure none, and do good to others, they are at moſt but venial Sins: So the conſequence is, if they tell an officious Lye for the preſervation of themſelves, but eſpecially for the honour of God, and the good of their Society, it is but a venial, a pardonable Sin: this moſt of the Papiſts hold. (2.) They tell us of the Doctrine of Equivocation, that ſome things, as they are ſpoken, are directly Sins; but if we keep any other true ſence in our Minds, it is reconcilable to Truth. Again they tell us, Some things a man is bound to deny, and that upon Oath, That if a Prieſt, from Confeſſion, knows any thing of Adultery or Murder in another, and he be examin'd in the matter, he may lawfully forbear to tell the truth, or deny it; and the reaſon is, becauſe he knows it under the Seal of Confeſſion. And they made great uſe of this Doctrin in the Powder Treaſon. Again, they hold, When they are called before an unlawful Judge, (as they hold us to be Hereticks) they may lye and forſwear; but eſpecially they hold, That no Civil Judge can judge a Prieſt. Again, they hold, If they are accuſed before a Judge, and the Crime is not clearly proved, and if they have any way to evade the Witneſſes, they may lye and forſwear themſelves with a mental reſervation, till the caſe be made out as clear as the Sun. Again, they averr, That at their Executions they may deny their Crimes too, becauſe when they have confeſſed to a Prieſt, and received Abſolution, they are in a ſtate of Salvation, and abſolved from their Sins. Therefore fix this in your Hearts, That for the greateſt Good in the World it is not lawful to commit the leaſt Sin.
SECT. V.
MY third Inference is this, If all the Sins of Men be order'd and govern'd by God, the only true way to ſecure our ſelves from hurt by wicked men, is, to make our Peace with God. It follows moſt directly true; for, if all the Sins of wicked men be order'd, limited, and over-ruled by God, the moſt ſecure method in all Troubles, is, to make our Peace with God, for if God be ours, all the Malice of the Devils in Hell, and wicked Men on Earth, ſhall do us no harm.
The firſt Leſſon we are to learn under every Rod, is, to believe God's Hand in it. It is a thing, beloved, that we all acknowledge in the notion, yet certainly one of the hardeſt things in practiſe: Micah 6. the Prophet tells us, It is the greateſt part of wiſdom to bear the rod, and him who has appointed it; for the greateſt cauſe of our impenitency under God's heavy Judgments, is, becauſe Men generally look no higher than the Second Cauſes; we impute our Troubles to our own Negligence, and the Malice of Men, but look not up to God: Iſa. 36.11. When thou lifteſt up thy hand they will not ſee it. So Jer. 5.12. when the Prophet told them God had ſent the Aſſyrian to puniſh them, they denied it, and ſaid, It is not the Lord. Beloved, we are loth, in any Affliction we ſuffer, to acknowledge God's Hand in it; and the reaſon is, becauſe it would be a ſecret acknowledgment of our own Guilt. Thus, if there happen to be a Defeat in War, we reckon it comes only by Negligence or Cowardiſe; or if a Fire happens, we ſay, this is the Malice of Men, but we never look up to God in all this. This is the great cauſe of Impenitence, for how can we repent of our Sins, if we believe we are only injured by Men, and not puniſhed by GOD? We ought to believe there is no evil in a City but what the Lord has done: all Evils that come either immediately from God's Hand, or from the Malice, Wickedneſs, and Injuſtice of Men, GOD has a hand in all. Thus Job, when the Chaldeans and Sabeans had robbed him, he aſcribes it to the Lord, and not to their Injuſtice, Iſa. 10.5. When a plundering Army was to be ſent, 'tis ſaid God ſent them; ſo when Abſalom rebelled and ſought the ruine of his Father, it is ſaid, God would stir up evil to him out of his own houſe. So, 1 Kin. 11. when Solomon follow'd ſtrange Women, then God ſtirred up Enemies againſt him. God ſometimes raiſes up baſe and ſordid men to be Plagues and Scourges to the moſt powerful People, for the Sins of ſuch a People. So Beloved, if we are proud and confident in our own Strength, our Sins may expoſe us to be a Prey to the baſeſt Nation in the World. Again, ſometimes God limits the Career of wicked men, as he does the proud Waves of the Sea, ſaying, Hitherto ſhalt thou go, and no further. When God has done with his Inſtruments, he will deſtroy them: It follows then, that it is the greateſt Folly for men to ſeek to remove their Afflictions ſo long as they continue in their Sins againſt God, for what Folly is it to look to the Inſtrument, and not to the Hand that moves it? it is as if a poor Priſoner ſhould court the Executioner, and not ſeek to the Judge. All theſe are our Follies: For firſt, we can with no reaſon expect God ſhould remove his Judgments while we continue in our Sins; if God does for a time ceaſe Judgments, we muſt not take it as a Pardon of our Sins, or a Removal of our Judgment, but only a Reprieve for a time: If God does withdraw one Rod or Judgment that we may fear, he will find new ones to chaſtiſe a wicked People; as the Angel cried, One woe is paſt, and another woe cometh. So long as we provoke God, tho' ſometimes we may prevail againſt men that are Inſtruments of his Wrath, we ſhall not always, he will have new Inſtruments to do his Work. It follows therefore in the laſt place, our only ſafe way is, to make our Peace with God, for if he rules and governs all, then without him all the Devils and wicked Men in the World ſhall do us no harm; if the Lord of Hoſts be for us, all Devils and wicked (being of his Hoſt) they cannot act but by his permiſſion; When a man's ways pleaſe the Lord, he maketh his Enemies to be at peace with him. When therefore we fear to ſuffer from wicked men, or when we are under their hands, then we are to look up, and ſee God's hand in all, and to make our Peace with him. I do not ſpeak this that we are to neglect all prudent and careful means to prevent Miſchief from wicked men; as for example ſake, Suppoſe they do injuriouſly take away our Eſtates, or aſſault our Lives, we are bound to uſe all Care, and to ſeek the Help of the Magiſtrate to preſerve our ſelves; nay, Magiſtrates are bound to uſe all poſſible means to oppoſe thoſe wicked men that would hurt us: God has never promis'd to help the idle, ſlothful, and lazy, but the diligent, and thoſe that uſe all probable means in ſubſerviency to God's Providence: nay, when God does diſcover the Deſigns of wicked men, and put into a Nations hands the means to prevent them, and they will not lay hold on them, it is a fearful ſign of Deſtruction. Beloved, I have often thought what in ſuch caſes we ought to do; the firſt thing we ought to begin with, is, to look up to God above all Second Cauſes, and to ſay, when any Trouble comes, Is not the Hand of God in all this? There is indeed much Treachery, Malice, and Cruelty in Man, but is it not all order'd by a wiſe and holy God. The ſecond thing is, to enquire into the cauſe why the Lord is angry with us; to ſearch what Sin has gone before this Judgment; when God cuts us ſhort of our Eſtates, to remember how unthankful we have been for them, and how ill we have uſed them. Thirdly, before we begin to deal with our Enemies, we ought firſt to begin with our Sins, to ſubdue them, and implore God's Help againſt them. It would be a better ſign of England's Happineſs, to ſee us reform our Sins, than to ſee all our Enemies under our Feet. Pſal. 81.13, 14.
If God orders and limits the Sins of wicked men, then our Duty is hearty and fervent Prayer to Almighty God, for if he ſends them, he hath power to take them away. Thus penitent Ephraim cries, Come, let us return to the Lord, for he hath wounded us, and he will heal us. Thus Jacob, before he contended with his Brother Eſau, he firſt wreſtles and prevails with God in Prayer. Thus Moſes, when Iſrael was fighting with Amalek, his Hands were lifted up to God in Prayer. So the good Emperor Theodoſius, when he had laid all night proſtrate on the Ground in Prayer, and had thereby overcome God, then he got an eaſie Victory over his Enemies. And, dearly beloved, I wiſh we had done ſo, or would do ſo, I am ſure this is one of the beſt ways to prevail with God under the Circumſtances we are in: There is none of you, but what are ſenſible of the Danger we are now in, and as to the Inſtruments, there has been as much Wickedneſs us'd as was ever known in any Nation, to contrive the Death of a King, and the Subverſion of our Religion; as to them it is without any cauſe at all, yet in reſpect of God it is moſt righteous; and if He ſhould give us up into their hands, we muſt ſay, That God is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works: That long Peace we have abus'd to Luxury, and other Sins, God may juſtly take it away from us; but above all, for our living ſo negligently, and being ſo lukewarm under that Religion God has given us, our Wickedneſs will juſtifie the worſt Judgments that can befal us; but, beloved, God is merciful, and hath put ſome ſtop to the Deſigns of our Enemies; and, oh that we may now return to the Lord by true and unfeigned Repentance. It is our Sins that give Strength to the Papiſts and Jeſuites; if we did but live up to the Religion we profeſs, all the Jeſuits in Rome and Devils in Hell can never do us any hurt. It is not only a politick Reformation by puniſhing Offenders, that will do our buſineſs, or by making ſeverer Laws, no, theſe are good in their kind, but the only way for us is, to be good, and walk anſwerable to the Goſpel we profeſs. I have indeed thought, if God Almighty pleaſe to make a full diſcovery of this Plot, it will be a deadly Blow to Jeſuitiſm, and to Popery it ſelf, but we cannot expect it without a Reformation of our ſelves.
Again, if God orders all the Sins of wicked men, then 'tis a Foundation of true Patience and Comfort in all our Sufferings, to conſider they all come from a holy, wiſe, and righteous God. Dearly beloved, I will give you one Remedy againſt all Diſcontents, Fears, and Troubles, and that is, to ſee God's Hand in every Affliction; and I will ſhew you how to improve them. It was a true Argument the Saints uſed to content themſelves with: ſo old Eli, when he heard the ſad news of Judgment denounced againſt his Family, It is the Lord, ſaith he, let him do what ſeemeth him good. So David, when he was under great Diſtreſſes, I opened not my mouth, for it was thy doing. Thus when he was reproached by Shimei, The Lord hath ſent Shimei to curſe David. Thus we find holy Hezekiah, when he was told of the ruine of his Houſe and Kingdom, Good is the word of the Lord. So our Saviour, under his bitter agony, ſaith, The cup which my heavenly father hath given me, ſhall I not drink it? So St. Chryſoſtom tells us, All the Malice and Rage of Men, when it comes into God's hand, loſes its Sting. Plutarch wrote againſt them that deny the Providence of God, and uſes this Argument, That by ſo doing they did take away all Comfort from People under their Affliction. Did I believe the Affairs of this World were order'd by wicked men, and God was only a bare Spectator, I do aſſure you I could not live with Comfort one moment; but when I know, that in all the Confuſions and Troubles which they cauſe here below, they cannot do one thing more than what God has order'd and appointed, I lay my ſelf down, and reſt in God's Boſom, and that for theſe Reaſons, (1.) Becauſe they are order'd by a God that is our Soveraign Lord, and can do with us what he pleaſes. (2.) Tho' we deſerve it not from them, yet we have Sins that do call for it. (3.) When I conſider, that notwithſtanding all theſe Confuſions, yet God can limit and over-rule all as he pleaſes. And laſtly, when I alſo conſider that God can make all theſe things end in the good of his Church, and make wicked men do his Work and his Church-ſervice againſt their own wills, where then can there be any room for Diſcontent? When any Troubles come, that which makes them bitter, is, to conſider the Wickedneſs of the Inſtruments. We are apt to ſay, Oh that falſe Servant, that treacherous Child, if God had done this or that, it would not have troubled us. Why beloved, look into the Text, it is not they, but God that did it, for holy and wife ends. Sudden and unexpected Accidents are great cauſes of Afflictions, to have a Child or Friend cut off by ſome unexpected Accident; yet we muſt conſider, tho' there be ſuch a thing as Chance or Fortune to us, there is nothing falls out but by the Wiſdom of Almighty God: As Deut. 19.5. compared with Exod. 21.13. God ſuffers not a Sparrow to fall to the Ground without his Providence, much leſs will he do ſo by Men: all things that are Chance to us, are eternally determin'd by God. I have heard many tender-ſpirited perſons ſay, Oh, I am afraid I have not done all I ſhould in this or that matter, as Martha ſaid, Lord, if thou hadſt been here, our Brother had not dyed. But I ſay, when God has ſignified his Will by the Event, then we are to reſt ſatisfied; God knows how to order our Ignorance and Follies to his own holy and wiſe ends. Again, when we think upon the Injuries of wicked men, the beſt Comfort is, to quiet our ſelves, as David, The Lord has ſent this Shimei to curſe David. Again, when we ſee a Deluge of Wickedneſs and Prophaneneſs overflow a Nation, it is one of the greateſt cauſes of Sorrow to a good man, as it was to David, Rivers of water run down mine eyes, becauſe men keep not thy law. It is a juſt cauſe of of Sorrow, that you are all called to at this time, but yet, beloved, we ought not to be too much grieved: God will not ſuffer his holy Name to be always prophaned, God can make this overſpreading of Wickedneſs turn to the Good of the Nation: Prov. 19.31. The counſel of the Lord ſhall ſtand; they cannot go one ſtep further than God orders, and he can and will overrule them. Again, this will be of great comfort to us in all the Riddles of God's Providence, when we ſee holy men oppreſs'd, and wicked men, for a time, to proſper in all theſe intricate Providences; God Almighty will bring to paſs his own wiſe and holy Ends; adore the Lord when you cannot comprehend him. The wicked have one Work to do, and God has another; judge not of Providences by their preſent faces and appearances: He that had ſeen Joſeph afflicted, and in the Dungeon, how could he have thought that had been the way to a Throne? therefore do not judge of God's Works before you ſee the Effects of them: God has a Work and Purpoſe, and it ſhall be brought to paſs, let men oppoſe and croſs it as much as they can; therefore it is one of the greateſt parts of Wiſdom to reſign up our Souls to God in the darkeſt Providences, when we can ſee neither Sun, Moon, nor Stars; Lord, I reſign up my ſelf to thee, tho' I cannot comprehend thy deſign at preſent. Laſtly, If God works together with wicked men, and turns all their Actions contrary to their own meaning, why then we ought to work together with God. I ſhall ſhew you how we may draw Good from the Sins of wicked men; when the Sins of wicked men bring me to ſee my own, and to watch and walk more holily with God, and more diligently ſeek after Heaven and Heavenly things, when the Malice of my Enemies is a means to encreaſe my Grace, why then, beloved, I draw Good out of Evil. Again, As to the Publick, when we ſee Wickedneſs abound, we may draw Good out of it: we may now look upon our ſelves to be Witneſſes for God, and to live well in the midſt of a wicked Nation, when we ſee a Deluge of Drunkenneſs, to abhor that Sin ſo much the more: So, as to the Spirit of Whoredome among us, this ſhould make us ſtrive to be ſo much the more chaſte and careful againſt all Company that may tempt us: When we ſee a Spirit of Formality and Negligence in the Service of God, this ſhould make us ſo much the more fervent, and to love Holineſs the better: And when you ſee People come to ſuch a meaſure of Prophaneneſs, as for many years together to omit the Lord's Supper, this ſhould make us more diligent in our Preparations to it. The beſt way to overthrow Popery is, to live well, like good Proteſtants, and eſpecially I would not have a Proteſtant tell a wilful Lye; and by this means we may turn our preſent Dangers to a good iſſue. If we thus repent, thus live, and thus pray unto God, &c.
FINIS.
End of the text · George Gifford, The Great Mystery of Providence (1695)