The Good Samaritan, Part 9
[And by chance.]
This word (And by chance) being lighted on we muſt ſpeak ſomething of before we ſpeak of the Perſons.
The Greeke word, foreign, ſignifies properly it fell out, or it came to paſſe: viz. by the providence of God ſo diſpoſing or over-ruling the matter (though caſually to the Priest) and gives thus much to underſtand.
Doct. There are chances that do fall out, i.e. Divers things in the paſſage of our lives which fall out to us caſually or accidentally. Now nihil aliud in rebus caſum vocamus niſi cujus ratio & cauſa ſecreta eſt (Aug. cont. Acad lib. 1) that we call caſuall or accidentall, that comes betwixt the cauſe, and the effect, unknown to us, and hinders it, ſuch there are to be met withall. See Eccleſ. 8.14. & 9.11. Deut. 19.5. Exo. 21.13. 1 King 22 34.
Many inſtances might be produced, the whole book of Eſter is a cleare proofe: What a chaine of meere caſualties, (if we looke only upon ſecond cauſes) did concurre in the whole Story? as in the offence of Vaſhti; in the promotion of Ester; in the Treaſon by the two Chamberlaines; in the Diſcovery by Mordecai; in the wakefullnes of the King; in the opening of the Chronicles; in the attendance of Haman; in the acceptance of Esters requeſt. I will give you a Reaſon.
Reaſon. God is pleaſed to have it thus, that his providence may be ſeene the more: For in things done by particular cauſes according to their intention, we uſually aſcribe it to them; but when an intercurrent action comes (which we call Chance) that belongs to the univerſall cauſe and we aſcribe it to the Lord; whence it comes, that God uſually in the diſperſing of contingent things turnes them rather by accidentall cauſes, by caſuall things, then by thoſe cauſes that have influence into their effects; for therein his owne hand is moſt ſeene, and the greateſt glory gotten. Pro. 16.14.
Object. If this be ſo, that chance fals out, may we not demur with the Philiſtines in what happens, whither it is God or Fortune that ſmites us?
Chance or Fortune is taken two wayes; either for a cauſe it ſelfe oppoſed to the Divine Providence (as Epicures, Reſp. Te facimus fortuna Deam coelo que locamus.Philoſophers, and many of the Vulgar take it;) And ſo it is a very Fiction, meere Fancy and vaine conceit; the name of Fortune having bin brought in by errour and blindneſſe (ſaith Lactantius Iuſtit. 3.29.) And thus did the Philiſtines conceive of it. Or els it is taken for the hiddenneſſe or ſecrecie of a cauſe; when the cauſe of a thing is ſecret and hidden from us; the appointment diſpoſing, and Providence of God is not ſeene of us (as here we are to underſtand it.) So that we need not queſtion whither there is a cauſe or no; (For nothing fals out (no not a ſparrow on the ground) but it is by Gods Providence and ariſeth from the univerſall cauſe of all) There is nothing done nor ſuffered to be done, but God either doth it or permits it, ſeem it to us never ſo caſuall, Pro. 16.33. See Gen. 24.15, 20, 21, 26. I paſſe this point with a word of Uſe.
Vſe 1 Boast not thy ſelfe of to morrow (ſaith Salomon, Pro. 27.1.) for thou knoweſt not what a day may bring forth. Canſt thou conclude peremptorily what is in the wombe before deliverance? No more canſt thou tell what the day travels with. Little did Iob thinke in the morning when he aroſe, that ſuch tidings ſhould be brought unto his ears before the evening; that that day travelled with ſuch a birth, as the loſſe of his goods, Children, &c. and he be left as poore and naked, as he was when he firſt came into the world. Ahab, Saul, Haman, thought as little they ſhould ſo ſpeed, having made ſuch ſtrong preparations as they had made, to effect their purpoſes. Be the Cauſe never ſo faire, yet the Effect expected may proove abortive, and that fall out thou never lookedſt for; daily experience we have of this, and that Proverbe verifieth it, Man purpoſeth but God diſpoſeth at his pleaſure.
This Doctrine well learned will cauſe us, 1. To be aboundant in Prayer, as you ſee Abrahams Servant was, Gen. 14.12. It will free the heart from diſtracting cares, wherewith it is ſo often diſquieted about the ſucceſſe and event of things, 1 Peter 4.19. And laſtly it will worke Patience in all Afflictions that befall us, Iob. 1.20.22.
Come we now to the Perſons, firſt who helped not; They are firſt ſet forth by their Calling or Profeſſion, one was a Priest, the other was a Levite: Both of them were Spirituall Perſons, and were Miniſters about the Temple.
The office of the Prieſt was to offer Sacrifice; burne Incenſe; 1 Chro. 6 49. & 2 Chr. 29.22 Numb. 10. Levit. 13.2. Mal. 2.7.ſound the Trumpets; ſlay the Beaſts; lay them on the Altar; dreſſe the Lamps; judge of Leproſie; inſtruct the people.
The office of the Levite was to ſet up and take downe the Tabernacle; to beare it, and the veſſels of it, &c. Numb. 4.3. Both were Miniſters, both Iewes, both of Hieruſalem: Theſe paſſe by the ſame way where the wounded man lay, Obſerve firſt
Doct. The way of the Prieſt and Levite is the ſame with that of other wounded men, Rom. 3.23, 24. Iſay. 53.6.
Reaſon. They came from Adam as well as others and were in his loynes as well as the pooreſt and baſeſt.
Vſe 1 If then they be tempted, wounded, ſpoyled, wonder not at it; the Divell is moſt buſie with them more than with others, Zach 3 1. Luke 22.31. 1 King. 22.31. and therefore expect to find th…m aſſaulted, yea often foyled, they are men of like paſſions with your ſelves, Acts 14.15.
Did Papiſts believe this, would they deny marriage to Miniſters, as if there were ſome new way laid out to Heaven for them; and they in no danger of the ſin of incontinency, and ſo no need of that remedy?
Secondly we may hence obſerve,
Doct. That in the ſame way the event is not alike to all, Luk. 17.34, 35, 36. Luk. 23.39.40. The whole booke of Salomons Proverbes is a proofe of this, (beſides many inſtances that might be brought if need were) as in Moſes ſmiting the Rocke twice, he is blamed for it: The King of Iſraels ſmiting it thrice and is commended for it, but blamed for doing it not.
Moſes numbers the people and is praiſed; David numbers them and is puniſhed, &c. Abraham laughs and is commended, Sarah laughs and is reproved, &c.
Reaſon 1 Some are in their calling, others not; as when God willeth Samuell to ſacrifice; Phineas to execute judgement, which done by them when ca…led thereunto is pleaſing; but for others uncalled to undertake ſuch things, God approoves not thereof, nor will accompany with a bleſſing.
Reaſon 2 Some aime at the right end, and obſerve due circumſtances in their actions, which others do not: Moſes, duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page Samuell, Iehoſaphat, Elijah deſtroyed Idolls and Idolaters, ſo did Iehu alſo; but not with a like ſucceſſe: For Iehu had a baſe end, and what he did, he did with a corrupt mind, poyſoned with Ambition, 2 King. 10.31. He aimed therein at his owne Praiſe, therefore the Lord threatned to puniſh him, Hoſea 2.4. though he bleſſed others.
And laſtly it is Gods good pleaſure to have it thus, that we may know it is not in the way, nor in the meanes, ſee Eccleſ. 7.14. God hath made this contrary to that, he takes different courſes with men, that men ſhould not find the print of his foot-ſteps, ſo as to ſay God will certainly do thus or thus, for all his waies and actions are paſt finding out.
Vſe It is a great error than to conclude peremptorily of the like event in that way which others have met withall before us. In the way of ſin ſome have met with Grace, as St. Paul did, ſo David and others of the Saints, but doth it neceſſarily follow all ſhall have the like good hap? Some have bin taken in the act of their evill, as Belſhazar, Herod, Ananias, Saphira, &c. All are not; ſome mens ſins go before to Judgement, ſome mens follow after, 1 Tim. 5.24. Expect not ever the like event. Thus both in the waies of Iudgement, and in the waies of Mercy the event may alter; Pharaohs Bakers head may be lifted up and ſo the Butlers, but one to his ruine, the other to advancement: So in all other ordinary actions and paſſages of thy life obſerve it, and apply it as occaſion ſhall be offered, and learne to judge of things aright, not alwaies by the way and meanes, (though they promiſe faire) but acknowledge God in all thy waies and undertakings, Pro. 3.6.
We ſpare any larger proſecution of theſe points: Come we more particularly to the Perſons ſpoken of.