A Discourse of the Two Covenants, Book 3 · Chapter 6 · Section 3

A Discourse of the Two Covenants · Book 3 · Chapter 6 · Section 3

p. 402SECT. III. What Intereſt the Saints have in Chriſts Providential Kingdom as to the greateſt and leaſt things.

§. 1. WE have ſpoken of the Spiritual, and come now unto the Providential Kingdom, which is a further manifeſtation and exerciſe of the Soveraignty of God; and this alſo have the Saints an intereſt in, and it is in the ſecond Covenant made over to them for their good, that it ſhall be wholly adminiſtred for them; and this will appear in theſe particulars.

1. There is a ſpecial Providence over them above all the reſt of the Creation; it is true, that there is a general Providence of God that doth reach unto every thing, even the meaneſt and the vileſt creatures, Mat. 10.29. a ſparrow, a hair; He doth whatever it pleaſes him in heaven and earth, and in the ſea, &c. there is a Divine manuduction, &c. and there is a concourſe; God has not ſet up a world to act of it ſelf, but there is and muſt be a concurrence, that is, (1) with all ſecond cauſes, or elſe they cannot act; this appears in the Furnace of Babylon, if the Lord do but ſuſpend his act, the creatures immediately work not; and therefore there is an immediate acting that is with all ſecond cauſes, cauſa prima concurrit immediatè cum omni agente creato, &c. But (2) in a ſpecial manner over the Saints; for that's the ſcope of Chriſts reaſoning, Mat. 10.29, &c. Ye are of more value than many ſparrows; he that feeds the ravens and cloaths the lilies, will he not much more you, O ye of little faith? and not one of them is forgotten by your heavenly Father, vocula Pater tanta eſt in corde eloquentia quam Demoſthenes & Cicero non poſſunt exprimere, &c. Luther, all the reſt are but his ſervants, but he will much more take care for his ſons; to the reſt of the world he is but a Maſter, but he is unto you a Father, and his affection anſwers his relation, &c. and therefore Deut. 33.3. All thy Saints are in thy hand, that is, under thy power for their preſervation, as Joh. 10.28, 29. None can pluck them out of my Fathers hand; and they are alſo under his care for their direction, Num. 4.28. Ʋnder the hand of Ithamar, and by the hand of Moſes and Aaron and of David, he rules them with the skilfulneſs of his hand, &c. they are as the apple of his eye, Zac. 2.8. tactum pro injuria ponit, ſo Jerome, and 'tis that which is the deareſt to him; and therefore it's that which he has the more tender care of;Pſal. 83.3.Ps 83:3 they are his Jewels and his hidden ones, Pſal. 83.4. foreign thoſe that are kept as in chambers that are never expoſed unto open view, as it's ſpoken of the chambers of the South, of the ſtars that are under the Southern Pole, which are not ſeen in our Horizon, but are as it were locked up in their chambers; and ſo it is with theſe Saints, they are ſhut up in the ſecret of the Tabernacle, and as it were kept in the Holy of holies, where no man may come, &c.

Now wherein doth this ſpecial Providence over the Saints conſiſt? It is (1) in ordering, ruling, and over-ruling all things for their good, that nothing ſhall touch them or do them hurt, for he could not preſerve them, if he did not rule and order all things for their good, he doth ſo order all things, that nothing ſhall do them hurt; let there be the moſt croſs turnings among the creatures that can be, Pſal. 46.1, 2. let the earth be moved, and let the mountains ſhake, let the Sea roar, yet they will not fear; how is it that they are ſo fearleſs? Truly it is when they are not faithleſs; and the ground of it is, becauſe there is a Providence that watches over them, that none of theſe things ſhall do them any hurt, Luke 10.19. foreign, There is nothing ſhall by any means hurt them. It is true, that they have enemies, they have one great enemy who is called the Envious man, and all the means that he can uſe is to turn every thing to their hurt, but they ſhall tread down all the power of the enemy, that none ſhall be able to hurt them; as it is ſaid of the Patriarchs, He ſuffered no man to do them wrong, but he reproved Kings for their ſakes; there were many that had a mind to do them wrong, but he ſuffered them not, and any that did attempt it, the Lord turned it into their good, and they did it not impunè, it was unto their own deſtruction,Eſa. 49.17.Isa 49:17 There is no weapon that is formed againſt thee ſhall proſper; and this is the inheritance of the ſervants of the Lord, it is that which belongs to them only, and that which they have a glorious title to, it is jure haereditario theirs, it deſcends unto them by their intereſt in God as their Father, and they that have God for their Father, have the p. 403ſecret Providence of God as their inheritance, ſo that there is nothing ſhall work againſt them, when God is for them. (2) Every thing ſhall work for their good and their preſervation: the ſtars ſhall fight for them, the Sea ſhall be a wall unto them, inſtead of drowning of them, their very enemies ſhall favour them, Pſal. 106.46. he gives them favour in the ſight of their enemies, and even Nebuchadnezzar ſhall give charge concerning Jeremiah, when there was none concerning Zedekiah the King; and he will turn the curſe into a bleſſing, Deut. 23.5. The Lord turned it into a bleſſing. To a wicked man every thing is for his hurt, what ſhould be for his welfare, that becomes his ſnare; but it is quite contrary unto a godly man, that which is intended for his hurt that is turned into good, and to a quite contrary end than that unto which it was by the enemy intended. Now when we ſee many cauſes with contrary purpoſes and intentions, all of them conſpire unto an end which they underſtand not, but ſeek and deſire the contrary, it muſt be ſaid, that there is a providence and a wiſe hand that did over-rule all this, for this is an end that was far from the intention of ſecond cauſes; for there is a peace with enemies, Prov. 16.7. there is a Covenant with beaſts, as Hoſ. 2.18. and there is a league with ſtones, Job 5.23. Dominium habet, cuſtodem habebit, & lapides, &c. and all this is nothing but an expreſſion of that ſpecial and ſecret providence of God that doth watch over his own people; ſo that this is the comfort and the inheritance of the Saints, that every thing in the whole government of the world is ſo ordered, that it ſhall do them no hurt, but all ſhall make for their good, who love him and fear him.

Now to ſet forth this in the particulars of it; we ſhall ſee that all things about which the providence of God is exerciſed, are ſo ruled, as that the government of them makes for the good of the Saints; and here I ſhall propound theſe five diſtinctions.

1. The Providence of God is either circa maxima, vel minima. (1) The greateſt things in the world are not above the providence of God, neither are the ſmalleſt things below it: He doth whatever he will in heaven and in earth, and in the ſea. It is not what the creatures will, Pſal. 119.91.Ps 119:91but it is what he will; all are his ſervants, the very Angels in Heaven do his pleaſure, and they hearken unto his voice; and the greateſt of men, Dan. 4.16, 17. the moſt high rules in the Kingdoms of mortal men, he puts down the mighty from their ſeat, he exalts them of low degree, deponit reges, diſponit regna, Ezech. 21.10. It is the rod of my ſon contemning every tree, &c. (2) There is not the ſmalleſt thing but it is ordered by him, there is not a worm that creeps upon the ground, Hoſ. 2.18. but he can make it hurtful to a man, he can command a ſerpent and he ſhall bite a man, &c. he can hiſs for the flye, &c.

2. There is a double exerciſe of providence, or the providence of God has two parts. (1) He doth uphold them in their beings, and the ſame Spirit that did create them doth to this very day ſit and brood upon them, as Gen. 1.2, 3. He doth bear up all things by the word of his power, Heb. 1.2. he doth hang the earth upon nothing but a word, and the ſame word that created all things doth ſtill continue them in their being; if he ſhould take away that word, they would run into their firſt nothing immediately, and therefore it is truly ſaid of providence, that it is continuata creatio, a continued creation: Pſal. 104.3.Ps 104:3He ſends forth his word, and they are created, and he renews the face of the earth; it is ſpoken of the providence and the preſervation of all things, which he doth call a Creation, for the ſame creating power is put forth continually, and daily exerciſed; for as ejuſdem eſt potentiae annihilare & creare, ſo ejuſdem eſt creare & conſervare, to give a being and continue the creature in that being, Pſal. 66.9. Who holdeth my ſoul in life, &c. even the continuance of a mans temporal or ſpiritual life is an act of a creating power. (2) He doth order their actions at his pleaſure; all of them ſhall accompliſh his ends; either he doth act them, or he doth ſuſpend their actions at his pleaſure; and if he will concur with them, or if he will withdraw his concurrence, it is all according to his pleaſure; and therefore he is the Lord of Hoſts, and all the motions of this great Army are at his command; as Pharaoh ſaid to Joſeph, Without thee ſhall no man lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. It is true, that the Lord governs all things, yea the very thoughts of the heart, there doth not a motion ariſe but he doth faſhion the hearts of men, Pſal. 33.15. Zac. 12.1. he formeth the ſpirits of men within them, ſo that what faſhion he doth put upon the apprehenſions of men; or the affections of men, the ſame they have; for all is of his government;Ezech. 38.1…Ezek 38:1 things ſhall come into thy mind, and thou ſhalt think an evil thought, &c. all his government of the creature is for the Saints, both when they act and when he doth ſuſpend their actings, when he doth concur with them and when he doth withdraw his concurrence, all is for their good.

3. The Providence of God is either, (1) what he doth by his own hand immediately by an extraordinary providence; as ſometimes the Lord doth, ſo that it doth appear to be p. 404the finger of God, and that there is nothing of ſecond cauſes in it, Eſa. 52.10. his arm was made bare, and Hab. 3.9. his bow was made naked, both of them do ſignifie patefacta eſt potentia, Druſ. And ſo it appears when God goes out of the courſe of nature, as when cauſes have not their natural efficacies, the race is not to the ſwift, the battel is not to the ſtrong, the men of might cannot find their hands, the horſe and the rider is caſt into a deep ſleep, Pſal. 76.6. and ſo it is in all the Lords miraculous workings, when he doth create a new thing in the earth, and a woman doth compaſs a man, Jer. 31.22. he doth make the Sea to go back, and the Sun to ſtand ſtill, the Heavens to give bread, and the Rocks water, and all theſe extraordinary workings of God are for the good of his people; and that way he will work for them as their neceſſity ſhall require; for there is no ſuch thing that the Lord has done for his people formerly, but they may ſtill expect the ſame, if they be brought unto the ſame ſtraits and neceſſities,Eſa. 10.24.Isa 10:24 Eſa. 10.24. He ſhall lift up a ſtaff againſt him after the manner of Egypt: it was a miraculous way that the Lord dealt with his people then, but it was not ſo that he would never do the like for them again, and that they were never to expect the like again; yea after the ſame manner as he did deliver them, when they came out of Egypt in a miraculous way, by ſigns and wonders, ſo he will do again, and the grounds of it is the ſame, Hab. 3.9. Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the Tribes, Hab. 3.9.Hab 3:9even thy word, Selah, thou didſt cleave the earth with rivers, &c. it is according unto the oaths that he ſwore unto the Tribes, even his word, the juramenta quae ſaepiùs repetita, &c. (2) When he doth work in an ordinary way according unto the courſe that he has ſet in nature, and according unto the dependence that things have one upon another; Hoſ. 2.22. the heavens ſhall hear the earth, and the earth the corn and the wine, and they ſhall hear Jezreel, &c. there are the ordinances of Heaven, of the Sun and the Moon and the Stars, Jer. 31.35. that conſtant and eſtabliſhed courſe that God has ſet amongſt the creatures, &c. Now whether the Lord work by means, or without means by his own immediate hand, all is and ſhall be ordered and diſpoſed for the good of the Saints; all the governments that the Lord doth exerciſe in the world either of thoſe ways.

4. The Providence of God is either ſeen (1) in things neceſſaria, which have a neceſſary dependence upon their cauſes, and we may accordingly expect them; as the Sun and Moon to ſhine, or to be in their Eclipſe, as we ſay, It will be foul weather to day, for the skie is red, and it will be fair to morrow, for the skie is red, which men do conclude of by their obſervation, becauſe they have a neceſſary dependence upon their cauſes, Mat. 16.2, 3. And as it is in natural things, ſo it is in morals alſo, there are ſigns of the times, by which things may be as well known, and as certainly concluded by an obſerving man: a man may as well know the ſigns of the times, as the Stork and the Crane and the Swallow know their times, Jer. 8.7, 8. or elſe why ſhould they be blamed for it, as being more unwiſe for themſelves than the brute creatures are, &c. (2) There are ſome things that are accidentalia, that are caſual or fall out ſo as we can give no reaſon for them; there is no expectation of it in man, as the diſpoſing of the minds of men, the Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord, Prov. 21.1. as in King Ahaſuerus in the buſineſs of Mordecai, there was a concurrence of many things that were caſual; and ſo Prov. 16.33. The lot is caſt into the lap, but the whole diſpoſing of it is from the Lord: ſo that there is not the moſt caſual thing that can be, but it comes under a providence; and in all theſe alſo it is for the good of the Saints: as it's ſaid, 2 Kings 3.22. a rumour Sennacheribs Army ſhall hear, they ſhall have ſuch an apprehenſion, that becauſe the Sun ſhines upon the water, therefore the Kings have ſlain one another, for this is blood, &c.

5. Providence is either circa bonum vel malum, either (1) in all good, ſo the Lord doth work and order the ſpirits of men; for as every good gift is from above, ſo every good work is from him that is the Father of lights, and the Fountain of all goodneſs. (2) Alſo of all the evil that is in man there is a providence; for God would never have ſuffered ſin to have come into the world, if he had not known how to have wrought his own ends by it; even by the veſſels of diſhonour he is ſerved in his houſe, 2 Tim. 2.21. he doth order and over-rule even the ſins of men unto his own high and moſt glorious ends; he doth uphold Pharaoh and let out his ſpirit, but it is that he might ſhew his power in him: Even the wrath of man ſhall praiſe him; and the remainder he will and doth reſtrain: and Gen. 20.3. I kept thee that thou ſhouldſt not touch her. There is a letting out of ſin, and there is a reſtraint upon ſin, ſo far as it may ſerve to his ends. Now all the providence of God, whether it be for good or ill, either permitting or diſpoſing, it is all of it for the good of the Saints.

1. The Providence of God is circa maxima, and that is for the good of the Saints, and this I will reduce unto two heads. (1) His government over the Angels. (2) Over men in all the great turnings and changes in the world, in the policies and in the governments p. 405thereof, for it is the moſt High rules in the Kingdoms of mortal men, and all this is done for the Saints ſake, and all is ordered ſo as it ſhall be for their good.

1. For the government of the Angels either good, or bad, it's all for the good of the Saints.

1. As for the good Angels, it's true they are part of the ſpiritual Kingdom, and ſhall make up part of that great Church and body of which Chriſt is the head; and therefore Heb. 12.22. we are ſaid to be come unto them; and therefore it is ordinary with the Fathers and the School-men (as I told you) to intimate, that there are as many men elected as there were Angels that fell, and that they are taken in to fill up that number, qui locum illum ſupplerent, & ruinas Jeruſalem reſtaurarent, Bern. But they are alſo uſed by the Lord in the providential Kingdom, and all is for the Saints good in their whole Miniſtry; it is for the ſake of them that are heirs of ſalvation, Heb. 1.14. And Ezech. 1.5, &c.Ezech. 1.5, &c.Ezek 1:5 we have the manner how the Lord governs all things in a threefold ſubordination; there are the wheels and the living creatures that act them, and one as the Son of man, by whoſe command and by whoſe Spirit they do move in all their ways, and the wheels by them.

(1) They do by a ſecret virtue work upon and over-rule the hearts and the wills of men; and therefore the Trumpets and the Vials are given unto the hands of Angels, that is, they do faſhion the hearts of men and ſtir up their ſpirits unto ſuch a work, and ſtrengthen their hearts in it; for as the Devil doth faſhion the minds and wills of men, and gives ſuggeſtions ſuitable to his deſigns, ſo do the good Angels alſo; and as Satan ſtrengthens the reſolution of wicked men, ſo do the good Angels alſo; for they have a power upon the ſoul alſo being Spirits, and a more immediate work upon the minds of men, as Ahabs falſe Prophets, thou ſhalt perſwade them and prevail; there is an impreſſion upon their hearts, they have their arguments and ſuggeſtions, and they follow them with reaſonings, till the men be overcome; ſo do the good Angels alſo:Rev. 2.10.Rev 2:10 the devil ſhall caſt ſome of you into priſon; it's Satans working powerfully in his inſtruments and upon the hearts of men to bring ſuch a deſign to paſs, &c.

(2) They fight for them againſt their enemies, Dan. 10.20. I return and fight againſt the King of Perſia, and when I am gone forth, &c. the Lord goes forth before a people, for they go forth under the conduct of the Angels, and they do oppoſe themſelves in a ſecret way that we know not: now as it is ſometimes a terror to the Saints to conſider they fight not againſt fleſh and blood, but againſt ſpiritual wickedneſs, ſo it is a mighty terror unto wicked men that they fight againſt principalities and powers, and ſpiritual holineſs in heavenly places, thoſe that will be ſure to watch over you for evil; for the ſame intention that the Angels had after the Fall with a flaming ſword to keep man out of Paradiſe, the ſame intention they bear ſtill to all that are not the members of Chriſt and of the ſame body with them, and fellow-ſervants with them.

(3) They do execute vengeance upon the enemies of the Saints: Zac. 6.6, 7. there are black Horſes, inſtruments of vengeance, and they go forth into Perſia, but it is to deſtroy them, and to execute upon them the vengeance of the Temple for all the wrong that they had done unto the Saints, all was by an inviſible virtue that they ſaw not; there the Spirit of God was diſpleaſed, and would not be pacified till wrath was executed upon them; for the ſame Spirit orders the Kingdom of Providence that doth order the Kingdom of Grace, &c. and therefore they have their ſpecial charge, Ezech. 9.1. it is foreign the viſitors of the city that draw near, firſt the Angels came, and then the inſtruments of vengeance came, they do perform that great work upon them.

(4) The Angels over-rule the creatures for the good of the Saints, even beyond their nature, and they are very inſtrumental in their deliverance and preſervation; as we ſee Dan. 3.28. the fire cannot burn, the Lord ſent his Angel, Dan. 6.22. and ſtopped the Lions mouths; there is a ſecret work that Angels have in all theſe great things, for the Saints deliverance and preſervation; and therefore it is the Angel that rowls away the ſtone from Chriſts grave, and it's an Angel opens the priſon for Peter, Acts 12. The prayers of the Saints do prevail with God, and he commands Angels to do their office; it was an Angel that ſaid unto the Chriſtians at Jeruſalem, Ite ad Pellam, and by that means they were preſerved in the deſtruction of the City; ſo that in the ordering of all things they are imployed by God for the good of the Saints.

(5) It is the Angels that guide them in their way, and ſucceed their buſineſs and all their undertakings, as we ſee Gen. 24.7. The Lord of Heaven which brought me out of my fathers houſe, he ſhall ſend his Angel before thee; and the buſineſs ſhall ſurely proſper that they do undertake; a godly man goes no where without ſuch a guard for his protection, and without ſuch an aſſiſtance; and therefore it was a certain argument, Dan. 10. ult. that the King of Grecia ſhould proſper, becauſe the Angel was gone out before him; p. 406bleſſed is he that hath ſuch a guide, he ſhall not daſh his foot againſt any ſtone, &c.

Laſtly, They do compaſs the earth, viſit all the parts of it for the Saints ſake, to ſee how it is with the Churches, Zac. 1. All the earth is quiet and ſtill; as the Devils do, ſo do the Angels alſo compaſs the earth, and they do lie in ambuſh for the Saints, that when there is no eye to pity them, and there is no remedy or relief for them, then they do appear, Zac. 1.8. They are behind the myrtle-trees, in the bottom, and they do watch the fitteſt ſeaſon for the deliverance of the Saints, which is when they are loweſt, and when their enemies are higheſt, then they do appear for them: therefore the people of God that have ſuch a guard ſtill near at hand, that hath been ſo ſucceſsful in all ages, need not fear what Satan and his Angels are continually plotting againſt them.

§. 2. We now proceed unto thoſe arcana imperii in reference to the Providence of God in the government of the evil Angels, and this alſo is for the good of the Saints; the Soveraignty of God over the Devils in his government of them is wholly for the ſake and for the good of the Saints.

In the opening of this I will lay down theſe Concluſions.

1. That Satan hath a power over all mankind by nature to rule and order them according to the pleaſure of his own will; for when man at firſt did freely ſubject himſelf unto the Devil, God did judicially give him up into the power of the Devil; and therefore 2 Tim. 2.26. they are ſaid to be led captive by him at his will; 1 Joh. 5.19. they are ſaid to lye foreign, in the wicked one, that is, to be under his power, and to be ſubjected unto his will, and it is juſt with God ſo to do, Illud appenſum eſt aequitatis examine, ut nec ipſius diaboli poteſtati negaretur homo, quem ſibi malè ſuadendo ſubjecerat, Auſt. For of whom a man is overcome, unto him he is brought into bondage; it's the manner of Conquerors to uſe men as ſlaves, whom they have ſubdued; and this was the Devils intent, not firſt to deſtroy men, but to take them alive, 2 Tim. 2.26. foreign, that he might uſe them for ſervice, and ſo rule over them; yet the meaning is not, as if he had received a commiſſion from God; and the Lord had commanded Satan to rule over man; for he will ſurely judge the Devil for it at the laſt day, Non ità debet intelligi, tanquam hoc Deus fecerit, aut fieri juſſerit, ſed quòd tantùm permiſerit, juſtè tamen, Auſt. Tom 3. p. 295. The command unto Ahabs falſe Prophets was not a commiſſion from God, but a permiſſion, Thou ſhalt perſwade him and prevail, go forth and do ſo, and his going into the herd of ſwine was not a commiſſion, but a permiſſion only, when he ſaid unto them, Go, &c. like unto that of Balaam, Go with the men, and yet the Lord was angry becauſe he went, ſo it is here alſo.

2. This power of Satan is very great; and therefore he is called Principalities and Powers, the Ruler of the darkneſs of this world, yea, he hath the power of a God, for he is ſaid to be the God of this world, which doth ſet forth a high condition, not the higheſt power, credo poſſe occidere in una hora quemcun que in terra viventem, Luth. for the power that Satan hath is from God, and that in juſt judgment. Now if the Lord give ſo much power to a man, as he did to Nebuchadnezzar, that none could ſtand before him, but he was the hammer of the whole earth, and yet the Lord did it in judgment, as he was an inſtrument in his hand, he did gather the riches of the Nations as eggs, none opened their mouth, or peeped againſt him; how much more unto him that God hath in judgment made the god of this world will the Lord permit ſuch power? Omnis voluntas díaboli ſemper eſt injuſta, ſed tamen Deo permittente juſta eſt poteſtas, Bern. The Devils will is of himſelf, but his power is of God, and therefore he is mighty.

3. The malice which doth ſet his power on work, though it be againſt all mankind, yet it is ſpecially againſt the Saints. It is true indeed, that it is againſt all mankind, and therefore his great labour is to draw all men to be partakers with him in the ſame ſin and the ſame torments, it is the fire that is prepared for the Devil and his Angels, that they may all of them be caſt into the ſame Lake; and though he know it will but increaſe his own torment, yet there is this power of envy in him, that he will deſtroy them, though it tend ſo much the more unto his own hurt in the end: but his malice is in a ſpecial manner againſt the Saints, the ſpiritual combate is mainly between the ſeed of the woman and of the ſerpent, Gen. 3.15. it is againſt Michael and his Angels, Rev. 12.8, 9. But why is Satan ſo much againſt the Saints above all men in the world? (1) Becauſe God hath ſet his love upon them, therefore Satan hath ſet his malice againſt them. (2) They are the members of Chriſt, whom above all he doth hate, as having a Kingdom ſet up of purpoſe to deſtroy his Kingdom. (3) As they bear the image of God, and carrying thereby the greateſt treaſury within them; for as Chryſoſtome hath well obſerved, Satan is as a thief, he will not come to rob where nothing is to be had, but where the treaſure is, he will not rob ſtones and ſtraws, but Jewes. (4) They conquer him; for it is out of them that he is caſt out, which he looked upon as his houſe, as his own portion, Mat. 12.44. (5) They p. 407ſhall ſurely judge him at the laſt day, Tunc maximè ſaevit, quum hominem ex laqueis liberatum videt, tunc plurimùm accenditur, cùm extinguitur, Tertul.

4. There is amongst the Devils a kind of policy and order in carrying on of this deſign; ſo that, though there be no love in them one to another, for that is not amongſt the damned in Hell, all natural affection ceaſes there; yet there is a kind of faithfulneſs, they being by the ſame ſinful principles carried on unto the ſame end; and therefore there is a Prince of Devils, there is a kind of government amongſt themſelves in tendency to the deep deſigns which they are to proſecute; not but that they were all of the ſame nature, but the ſame God who in judgment ſubjected mankind to his power, he giving up himſelf, hath ſubjected the Devils alſo unto the power of him that was the chief of Devils, and was firſt in the tranſgreſſion; that they have a kind of order amongſt themſelves to carry on their ends; there are the gates of Hell which ſome do interpret the Counſels of it, there are orders and methods and devices amongſt them, and therefore Luther hath obſerved it: Diaboli regnum & politiam inter ſe habent uſ que diem judicii, ubi Chriſtus evacuàbit omnià.

5. The end of all this power and this policy is the higheſt that malice can invent, and that is the deſtruction of all the Saints: for the name of the Devil is Abaddon and Apollyon, the Deſtroyer, in two Languages, and Job 33. His life draws near to the grave, and his ſoul unto the deſtroyers: it is to deſtroy their ſouls that he doth aim with an eternal deſtruction; and Eph. 6.12. it is foreign, in ſupercoeleſtibus, in the things of eternal concernment, things of Heaven; he doth not contend with us about Eſtates, and Dignities, and Dominions here below, ſuch contentions are too mean for him, but it is a contention that is for ſouls, Pſal. 91.3. the promiſe is, He ſhall deliver thee from the ſnare of the fowler, or the hunter, which ſome do apply unto the Devil, as he is one that hunts to lay ſnares for ſouls, nothing elſe will content him. Satans ſpeech is the ſame with that of the King of Sodom, Take you the goods, give me the ſouls: if the world were his, as he makes it to be, when he ſays to Chriſt, All this will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worſhip me; he would give all for a ſoul; he tempts ſouls with money to be his, &c.

6. This Kingdom of Satan is ſo under the Soveraignty of Chriſt, that he doth order it wholly, and rule it, and over-rule it for the good of the Saints, 2 Tim. 2.20, 22. The Church of God is compared to a great houſe, and there are ſome veſſels to honour, and ſome to diſhonour, but they are all of them for the maſters uſe, and for the uſe of the houſe; and therefore we ſee, when the ſons of God come together, Satan himſelf alſo appears before God,Job 1.6.Job 1:6 Job 1.6. partly being over-ruled by the power of God as a creature, and partly being inclined by his own malice as an executioner, he is deſirous to be imployed by God as a veſſel of diſhonour, as being one that hath mortis imperium, the power of death, &c. and therefore he cannot deceive Ahabs Prophets without leave, nor can he enter into the herd of ſwine without leave, neither can he poſſeſs the man that had the Legion when the Lord Jeſus will caſt him out; his authority is limited, and though he be never ſo high and exalted up to heaven, yet he doth fall from heaven as lightning, if the Lord command it; and ſo he cannot deal with Job till the Lord permit him, and he cannot move beyond the bounds of his permiſſion, Diabolo poteſtas quaedam eſt, plerun que tamen noceret, & non poteſt, quoniam poteſtas injuſta eſt ſub poteſtate, Auguſt.

7. God may and many times doth give up his people into the hand of the Enemy; their Rock hath ſold them; and not only into the hand of bodily enemies, but even into the hand of this ſpiritual enemy alſo, who is the great enemy, therefore called Satan, which ſignifies an Adverſary; ſo he did Hezekiah, the Lord left him; and ſo he did David, the Lord moved him, the Lord did it by giving Satan leave, and by leaving David in his hand; and Job 2.6. Behold he is in thy hand, only ſpare his life. (1) Satan doth always deſire it, and the Lord doth ſometimes in judgment unto Satan grant his unjuſt deſires, Luke 22.31. Satan hath deſired to winnow thee; and ſo Job 2.3. Thou haſt moved me againſt him, he did make a challenge, and deſired God that he would ſtand by and leave him in his hand a while, ſee what he can do with him. (2) Sometimes in juſt judgment God doth it, when his people ſin againſt him, and depart from him, the Lord doth leave them in the hand of the Devil as a priſoner, that he may correct them, and ſo recover them; as a father leaves his child in the hand of a ſervant to correct, ſo as he ſtands by and ſets the meaſure to it, he ſhall but correct him in meaſure, Rev. 2.10. He will caſt them into priſon for ten days, as he did Paul, he was buffetted by Satan to prevent ſin, he did leave him to correct his ſin. (3) In an ordinance of Excommunication, 1 Cor. 5.5. being delivered to Satan he doth exerciſe tyranny over him to ſtir up the guilt of ſin within him, and to torment his conſcience, and God departs from him in point of comfort; for 2 Cor. 2.7. it was, that he might not be ſwallowed up with over-much ſorrow, therefore it is ſorrow that is the fruit of this Ordinance, &c.

p. 4082. Yet all this doth the Soveraignty of God order and over-rule for the good of the Saints. There are two things that the power of Satan is wholly exerciſed in, temptation and affliction. (1) He is a Tempter in us, and that both as he is foreign and foreign, as Clem. Alexandr. ſpeaks: [1] He doth effectually ſtir up ſin within us, and he works effectually in the children of diſobedience; and [2] In any ſin that is ſtirred up in us, he is a worker together with us, to bring it forth unto perfection; for it's not only to beget ſin in us, but to perfect it that he doth aim at. (2) He is an Accuſer of us unto God, foreign, the accuſer of the brethren, Rev. 12.10.Rev 12:10as Chriſt is called foreign. Satan doth plead againſt them before God and before men, and in their own conſciences alſo, ſtirring up of guilt in them alſo, and he hath his acceſſes unto Heaven, and he doth put up his deſires unto God againſt us, and doth lay our ſins unto our charge before the Throne of Juſtice, and demands juſtice againſt us;Zac. 3.1, 2. for Zac. 3.1, 2. Satan ſtands at his right hand, which was to accuſe, for the Accuſer ſtood at the right hand; and it was to reſiſt him, the right hand being chiefly the inſtrument of action, therefore it was to hinder him in the great ſervice that he was now about to do, and to object againſt him before the Lord his filthy garment with which he was cloathed at his appearance before the Lord. Now both theſe, the temptations and the accuſations of Satan, the Soveraignty of God doth rule and over-rule for the ſpiritual good of the Saints, which I ſhall make appear in theſe particulars; and therefore Bernard calls him Malleus terrae, and he ſaith, Terit electos in utilitatem, & reprobos conterit in damnationem, pag. 300.

1. There is a reſtraint upon him, that he ſhall tempt them no more than is for their good: He will not ſuffer us to be tempted above what we are able, 1 Cor. 10.13. It is true, that Satan is ſubtle in his temptations, and he doth take a meaſure of the ſpirits of men, that ſo he may proportion his temptations unto them; ſome ſpirits are too low for ſome temptations, as their underſtandings are for ſome opinions. Now Satan therefore doth not ſuggeſt ſuch depths unto them, but deals with them in a lower way; but there are ſome temptations that would not take with ſome, becauſe their ſpirits and their underſtandings are above them, and he deals with them in a higher and in a more ingenious way. Now as Satan doth take a meaſure of the ſpirits of men in every temptation, ſo doth God alſo take a meaſure of their grace, that it ſhall be ſo much, and no more; for there are ſome temptations that the grace that is in ſome men could not bear, and therefore the Lord doth proportion it in wiſdom and in mercy: it is true, unto wicked men it is otherwiſe, there is a power that is beyond the ſtrength of the common works that are upon them, an opportunity of temptation that turns them off as leaves that are ſhaken with the wind; but it is not ſo with the Saints: Ad menſuram permittitur tentare Diabolus; ſed qui dat Tentatori poteſtatem, ipſe tantato praebet miſericordiam, Auguſt. tom. 8. p. 435.

2. Satan ſhall tempt no further than it ſhall be for the ſubduing of corruption: men are delivered unto Satan for the deſtruction of the fleſh; but it is an over-ruling hand of the Soveraignty of God, who doth temper ſuch poyſon into a wholeſom medicine, and what the enemy did intend ſhould kill, that ſhall be a means to cure. And therefore Luther doth deride the Papiſts in this, who having ſpoken in his Covent unto one of the Society of a Purgatory, and they objected it againſt him, that he did grant in his writings a Purgatory alſo, he anſwers them, That he doth grant a Purgatory, but it is this of temptation only, by which the Lord is pleaſed to purge the ſouls of his people, and that makes them to come out the more refined, hoc Purgatorium fictum non eſt, &c. Great hath been the gain that the people of God have had by their temptations this way, yea even by thoſe temptations in which they have been foiled: Neſcit Diabolus quomodo illo inſidiante & furente utatur ad ſalutem fidelium excellentiſſima Dei ſapientia, &c. Aug. tom. 3. p. 218.

3. It doth mightily improve their graces; we ſee it in Job, we know what the end was that God made with him; as all afflictions improve graces, and make the land fruitful, as the rain doth, though it make the way foul, ſo there is not a greater affliction than temptation, for a man to be left to be as the ſink into which the Devil ſhall empty all the filthineſs that is in that unclean ſpirit; therefore this alſo ſhall turn into the increaſe of grace: wherefore Luther's ſaying, That there are three things make a Divine, Meditation, Oration, and Tentation, is moſt true, for grace oppoſed is much improved; a ſoul had never ſeen ſuch high acts of grace, had it not met with ſuch high oppoſition. It's true, in it ſelf it doth not increaſe grace, for it is oppoſite unto it, but by an Antiperiſtaſis it doth, debemus eſſe Dialectici, non pugnamus ut homines, ſed ut Chriſtiani, Luth. and therefore the Spirit of Chriſt will improve his own work in us by our temptations alſo.

4. We have by this, experience of the power of Chriſt in us. Experimental knowledge is a knowledge upon tryal, and ſuch a knowledge a man can never have till he be brought unto a tryal; there is many a man that doth preſumptuouſly think that he can do much, p. 409and reſiſt much, but when he comes to the tryal he is weak as water, and it's all but the vain preſumption of his own ſpirit, 2 Cor. 12.9. My grace is ſufficient for thee, my ſtrength ſhall be perfected, that is, ſhall be declared to be perfect, in weakneſs; therefore I take pleaſure in infirmities, for when I am weak, then am I ſtrong: it is an eaſie thing for the potſherds to contend with the potſherds of the earth, but when we come to contend with Spirts, and they ſtrengthned by the darkneſs that is within us, now the ſtrength of grace is put to it indeed, now we ſee what power of Chriſt is in us; for there is no power but Chriſts power that can hold out againſt temptation.

5. That we may know the benefit of Chriſts Interceſſion, that having ſo great an Accuſer as Satan is, we may go to him, and ſtrive to find the benefit of ſuch an Advocate. O what an advantage was it to Peter to hear this ſweet word of Chriſt to him! But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. Chriſt was tempted in all things like unto us, and he is ſenſible of our infirmities, and with the temptation we ſhall find a way to eſcape; for this very end Chriſt ſuffered himſelf to be tempted by Satan, that he might ſuccour us in all our temptations, he is pleading for us againſt the accuſations of our ſubtle adverſaries, and if he had not undertaken to be our Advocate, we had been undone, but he ſtill ſaith to Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, &c.

6. And truly hereby we have experience of the power of our own prayers; how many times have the prayers of a Saint ſtilled the enemy and the avenger that purſued them furiouſly? how many times hath Satan fall…n before them like lightning, and all the devices of the enemy have come to nought? Rev 11.7. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies, &c. and they ſhall not only kill men, but Satan ſhall alſo be trod under their fee…; and it's a great honour to the Saints, that in their conqueſts they can overcome Satan; for reſiſt the Devil, and he will flye from you; that ſo proud a Spirit ſhould be ſo ſubdued by mankind, in fide fortes Diabolum deſpiciunt quaſi vermiculum, &c. Bern. pag. 1309. cùm viderint contemnunt.

7. It quickens the people of God to wiſdom and watchfulneſs; to wiſdom, that they may diſcern the devices of Satan; and to watchfulneſs, as the exhortation is, 1 Pet. 5.8. Watch therefore and put on the whole armour of God, becauſe he is as a roaring lyon ſeeking whom he may devour. Auſtin obſerves, that there are two ways that Satan hath. (1) In times of perſecution, cogit Chriſtianos negare Chriſtum, he compels Chriſtians to deny Chriſt. (2) In times of peace and proſperity he raiſeth up Hereticks, and ſo docet Chriſtianos Chriſtum negare, teaches Chriſtians to deny Chriſt, Tom. 8. pag. 233. therefore we had need be wiſe and watchful.

8. There is a time coming when this over-ruling power of Chriſt will put an end unto this dominion of Satan; he ſhall not be the god of this world always, but when Chriſt puts down all rule and all authority and power, his Kingdom will for ever be broken, it muſt laſt no longer than the day of Judgment, for there will be no further uſe of him either in tempting, accuſing, or tormenting; but as after the day of Judgment Chriſt in glory ſhall make up the head of that great body the Church which ſhall be gathered unto glory by him, as they were here on earth gathered into his Kingdom of Grace; ſo Satan in Hell alſo ſhall make up the head of that great body of the wicked that he hath been gathering into his Kingdom here upon earth, and he ſhall be tormented together with them: and it is no ſmall comfort, that we can look beyond the power of the enemies; though they be ſo powerful for the preſent, it is but for a while; Nebuchadnezzar had power to do what he pleaſed in the world, but after a little while this great Monarch ſhall be deſtroyed, My anger, ſays the Lord, ſhall ceaſe in his deſtruction, &c.

Laſtly, The temptations and accuſations of Satan ſhall tend to the greater increaſe of the glory of the Saints; for if theſe light afflictions that all Saints meet with in the world from leſſer evils do work for us, much more will ſuch great afflictions, Poteſt inimicus excitare tentationis motum, ſed quoties reſtiteris, toties coronaberis, Bern. p. 11, 15. They had their ſeveral Crowns in their Triumph anſwerable unto the ſeveral Victories that they won; therefore Chriſt hath upon his head many Crowns, becauſe of his many Conqueſts: ſo it ſhall be unto the Saints matter of great triumph; Satan himſelf who did above all things deſire to keep them from glory, his very temptations and his accuſations ſhall be ſo far uſeful, as that they ſhall add unto our glory, and they that have been moſt tempted and accuſed by him, and have by grace reſiſted him, ſhall be moſt glorified in the day of the Lord.

§. 3. The next thing propounded was Gods providential Kingdom, as it reſpects men, and theſe either good or bad, which belong both unto the providential Kingdom; and the Soveraignty of God over them is laid out wholly for the good of the Saints. And here firſt we are to conſider Providence ordering all things either in reference unto the Saints own ſpiritual good, that the ordering of all things towards them ſhall tend unto it; p. 410or elſe in reference unto the good of others; Providence ſhall ſo order things, that they ſhall become a common and a publick good unto others in the generations in which they live, yea and it ſhall extend alſo unto after-ages.

1. Providence ſhall ſo diſpoſe of all things, as they ſhall tend unto their own ſpiritual good; and all by reaſon of their intereſt in the Soveraignty and the Supremacy of God, as, 1. If we look upon their converſion, Providence doth ſtrangely order things ſo, that they ſhall be caſt upon ſuch ſocieties and opportunities, which they never thought of nor lookt after; and in theſe they ſhall be converted and brought home unto God: there is an inſtance in Oneſimus, Philem. 10, 11.he ran away from his maſter, and by this means was brought to Rome unto the Apoſtle Pauls miniſtry, and there the Lord was pleaſed to convert him unto the faith; a thing that he little thought of or aimed at in going from his maſter; and yet now he that was before foreign, unprofitable, Is profitable both to thee and me, ſays the Apoſtle Paul to Philemon, &c. And ſo it was with Junius, his father laying the Scripture before him,Joh. 1.1.John 1:1 he fell occaſionally and careleſly upon Joh. 1.1. In the beginning was the word, &c. he was ſo taken with the majeſty of the ſtile, and with the excellency of the matter, that he did not know where he was, nor what he did, it did ſo far excel all humane writings. And truly there are few men converted but they will be able to tell you ſome ſpecial providence of God, as well as the ſpecial grace of God therein, bringing them into ſuch ſocieties, and caſting them upon ſuch occaſions, ſometimes in their callings, and ſometimes even in a way of ſin; he being found of them that ſought him not, and pleaſed to bring them out of darkneſs into his marvellous light: and when men ſhall come to Heaven, infinite will the praiſes be, not only of grace, but of his Soveraignty this way, to ſet forth what great variety the Lord hath uſed, and what marvellous wiſdom he hath exerciſed towards his people in bringing them home unto him; for as there are inſnaring providences, ſo there are alſo converting providences; the one befal wicked men, and are exerciſed towards them, and the other befal thoſe that are the people of his good will. As we ſee Eccleſ. 7.26. there is a woman whoſe hands are ſnares and bands: all men do not light upon ſuch providences, God doth not caſt them upon them; there is no man that doth ſcape theſe ſnares by his own wiſdom, but it is the man that is good before God, foreign, he that the Lord hath a delight in, that ſhall be delivered from ſuch a one, but the ſinner ſhall be taken with her, providence ſhall ſo order it, that he ſhall have ſuch occaſions, opportunities, and temptations, that he ſhall be inſnared. And ſo it is in converting providences, he ſhall be caſt upon ſuch company, time, places, and opportunities that ſhall be effectual to his converſion; ſo many a man is able to ſay, God brought me in the Univerſity unto ſuch a Tutor, into ſuch company, and into ſuch a family, and under ſuch a miniſtry, and by this in an unexpected way was I wrought upon; and ſome have come to hear a Miniſter by chance, in a journey, and have been ſmitten, haerebat lateri, have carried home a wound in their conſciences; and when with Saul they did but go to ſeek Aſſes, they have found a Kingdom: ſome, as Auſtin did Ambroſe, go to hear a man for his elegancy of ſtile; and as Galeacius Caracciola did Peter Martyr, and they, together with the excellency of his words, felt a warmth and power in their hearts, a fire was kindled that they never could put out again. Some have come to ſee the ſufferings of the Chriſtians, and thereat were converted, and at the ſight of their patience cryed out, Verè magnus eſt Deus Chriſtianorum, The God of the Chriſtians is truly great; and ſome by the ſight of an affliction, as Waldus by ſeeing a man to fall down dead before him; and ſome that have come to hear Miniſters only to mock at them, and yet have before their departure been taken by them. Very ſtrange are the over-rulings of Providence for the converſion of the Saints, when all their experiments ſhall be laid together this way: but there are two famous inſtances of over-ruling Providence, one in Vergerius a Biſhop of Juſtinople, of whom Sleidan reports, that being imployed as a Legate by the Pope in Germany, was ſuſpected to lean too much unto the Lutherans opinion, and therefore had not favour with the Pope as he expected; at his return he intended to clear himſelf, and to write a Book in the refutation of the Lutheran opinions; and by that means looking more narrowly into them, he was truly converted, and left his Biſhoprick, &c. And the other is of famous Doctor Reynolds, who was formerly a Papiſt and his Brother a Proteſtant, and they wrote to convert one another, and it pleaſed the Lord ſo to order it, that his Brother by him was converted to Popery, and died a Papiſt, to whom he wrote much afterwards to reclaim him; and he was converted from Popery, and died a Proteſtant, and proved a famous and an eminent inſtrument in the Church of God for the beating down of Popery all his days; and he had not any thing ſtuck more upon him, than that he was an inſtrument in the perverting of his Brother, by whom he himſelf had received ſo much good.

2. Not only for their Converſion, but for their Inſtruction: the people of God have p. 411met with ſtrange providences. We ſee it in Apollos, Act. 18. Claudius commands all Jews to depart from Rome, and thereupon Aquila and his wife depart and came to Corinth, and there Paul finds them, and being of the ſame trade they wrought together, and they travel with him to Epheſus, and there he leaves them, and there came Apollos a Jew unto Epheſus, a man that was mighty in the Scriptures, and they took him and inſtructed him in the way of God more perfectly; all this concurrence of providence there is for his inſtruction. So Luther, as ſoon as the Lord had revealed the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt to him to be imputed for Juſtification, immediately he fell upon Auſtins Book, De Spiritu & Litera, and there he finds the word juſtitia commonly ſo uſed, non de juſtitia puniente, not of the puniſhing Juſtice of God, but of his pardoning Righteouſneſs, that is, the Righteouſneſs of Jeſus Chriſt for which God would pardon the ſins of his people.

3. For deliverance out of danger; as we ſee in the inſtance of Moſes, it was Gods providence that brought out Pharaohs daughter to the place where he lay in an Ark of Bulruſhes; and it muſt be by a dream that Joſeph is to be delivered out of priſon; and ſo David being beſieged, and not knowing how to eſcape, when he thought that he was now in the mouth of the Lion, news was brought unto Saul that ſought his life, that the Philiſtins had invaded the land, and he returned from ſeeking after David; and ſo Hezekiah, it was told him by the Prophet, that Sennacherib ſhould hear a rumour, &c. for it was told him that the King of Ethiopia had invaded the land, and ſo he raiſed the ſiege and departed from Jeruſalem. The Lord knows how to deliver his children in the time of their greateſt extremity, and the God that hath delivered, doth ſtill deliver his people, and is a God near at hand and not afar off from them that wait for him.

4. For their preſervation, when there hath been no viſible ſupport; when a famine is in the land, Elijah is fed by Ravens; and ſo the woman of Sarepta by the multiplying of the meal in the barrel, and the oil in the cruiſe; and ſo in the Maſſacre at Paris the Divine that was with the Earl Marſhal when he was put to death by the Conſpirators, was preſerved in a Hay-mow by a Hen daily laying an egg by him, &c. they are ſtrange ways that in the want of all things the Lord hath for the ſupport of his own.

5. For their conſolation; when the day hath been dark over them, and their ſouls have drawn near to the grave, and their life to the deſtroyers, the Lord hath cauſed light to ſhine out of darkneſs, and hath made their light to break forth out of obſcurity; and when they have walked in the ſhadow of death, a light hath riſen upon them; as the Martyr that was in priſon in his own ſpirit till he came into priſon, and the priſon was that which the Lord made uſe of for his enlargement, Schola crucis, lucis feneſtra: and ſo we read of another Martyr, who upon this ground did wonderfully bleſs God that he came into priſon, that thereby he became acquainted with that Angel of God John Bradford. The providence of God is as wonderful in the conſolations as in the converſion of his people; for it is a creating of the fruit of the lips peace, Eſa. 57.19. and that is ex nihilo.

6. In temptations; when the luſt hath been high, and the temptation impetuous, and the man about to yield, the Lord hath ſometimes appeared and ſtruck the luſt as it were from Heaven immediately, and ſaid, Stay thy hand, and the luſt hath vaniſhed (for the faſhion of the world paſſeth away, and the luſt thereof) that a mans heart hath been dead unto that which before it was with the greateſt violence ſet upon; the Lord hath hedged up a mans way with thorns, ſo that he could not ſin with ſecurity, as other men do,Hoſ. 2.6, 7.Hos 2:6Hos 2:7 but ſtill when he would have ſinned there were ſtumbling-blocks in his way, and ſome providences that did concur to croſs him in a way of ſinning, and ſome to pull him out of the fire when he was falling in; as the inſtance of Ʋzthazares the Perſian, and the ſtory of Ambroſe of a young man that met with his miſtreſs, with whom he had formerly had dalliances, and when ſhe met him again the Lord ſtruck his luſt, ſo that when ſhe ſaid, Ego ſum, I am ſhe, he anſwered, Ego non ſum, I am not he.

2. There is a ſpecial Providence over godly men for the good of others that are good in their preſent and in after-generations.

1. There is a ſtrange Providence in improving their parts; Moſes being to be a man of great imployment for the good of the people of God, he muſt be learned in all the learning of the Egyptians; and ſo the parts of Auſtin and his learning, and ſo of Luther, how ſtrangely did God make uſe of for the good of his people! and Luk. 11.22. 'tis ſaid he takes from him all the armour wherein he truſted, &c. that learning and thoſe abilities and improvements the Lord doth imploy for the good of his people, and he hath ſtrange ways of improving of thoſe that he doth intend to imploy, and men ſee not the reaſon of it till afterward.

2. In drawing out of their graces, as in Joſeph by the temptation of his miſtreſs, and the perſecution that he met with, his bow abode in ſtrength, and his arm was made ſtrong; p. 412and ſo it was with Job, that we might hear of his patience, and what end the Lord made with him; and we know how ſtrangely the Lord did order things, that the height of Luthers ſpirit did riſe by the oppoſition that was againſt him, that he that at firſt would have accepted of eaſie terms, afterwards reſolved that nothing but the utter overthrow of Popery ſhould ſatisfie him: Efficiam ut Anathema ſit eſſe papiſta….

3. Thereby there is a Providence that doth turn them to the good of his people that are to ſucceed, partly for admonition, that they may be warnings unto them; Remember Lots wife, remember Peter, and David, and Solomon, that you may take heed to avoid the ſame ſnares in which they were taken; and partly for their conſolation, that God might ſhew in them a pattern of all long-ſuffering unto them which ſhould hereafter believe on him to life everlaſting; as Beza ſaid, when one derided him for his wanton Poems in his youth, Hic homo invidet mihi gratiam Chriſti, &c.

4. Their ſufferings; ſo it was with Joſeph, Gen. 50.20. Ye intended evil, but the Lord turned it unto good to ſave much people alive; it was your good that God intended in my affliction: and ſo Johns baniſhment into Patmos, it was that he might receive the Book of the Revelations, which hath been the great ſtay of the hearts and faith of the people of God ever ſince; and though it may be obſcure, yet Conrad. Graſerus ſpeaks of it by his own experience: Me non ex ullius libri canonici lectione ad inſtructionem & conſolationem plùs proficere, pag. 2. I have not profited more by any book, &c.

5. Their labours; As 'tis ſaid, that Moſes wrote the Book of Job for the conſolation of the people of God, when they were in Egypt; and of what uſe hath that been in general to the Church of God ever ſince? ſo, many of the pains of the people of God in writing the lives of the godly, and the Sermons and ſayings of the Miniſters of God, and their own obſervations of the ſigns of the times, and whatever they have of that kind been put upon in particular caſes, providence hath ſo over-ruled things, that they have been as a ſtanding benefit unto the Church of God in after-ages; and they have lived when the men have died. There are many defences of the people of God and Apologies that they have been put upon in all ages, when men of corrupt minds have aſperſed the writings and perſons of thoſe that have been eminent in their places for aſſerting the Truths of God, and witneſſing againſt the corruptions of the times, &c.

6. Not only their labours have been very uſeful in all ages, but alſo their Examples of well-doing. Povidence doth put the Saints upon many things and conditions, that they may leave their example as monuments in the ages to come, as the Apoſtle ſaies, Phil. 1.14. By my bonds many of the brethren wax confident, are much more bold to ſpeak the truth without fear; 1 Tim. 4.12. Be thou an example of the believers in word, in converſation, in charity, in ſpirit, in faith, and in purity: they muſt be exemplary in every generation, that they may leave their footſteps behind them, that the people of God may walk after them, and go forth by the footſteps of the ſtock in after-ages; and that they may be ſo, the Lord doth in his providence ſo order things, that they ſhall have occaſion to ſhew themſelves examples in all things; ſo that there is an over-ruling providence by virtue of the intereſt of the Saints in the Soveraignty of God that orders all things towards good men for their own good, and all providences over them for the good of his people in the preſent and in after-ages, that ſo a good man may be every way a common good.

7. They have great advantages by the prayers of the Saints; for even the wicked of the age, yea and of after-ages do attain benefits by their prayers, much more do the Saints that are of the ſame body with themſelves; for they do none of them live barely as private men; though they are not all publick perſons in reſpect of office and function, yet they are in reſpect of their relation, and they have all of them reference unto the body, and they do pray as members of the body, and have in all things reſpect unto the good of the body; for as the Spirit that doth interpret the Scripture, is not a private Spirit, ſo the Spirit that doth act the Saints is not a private Spirit; therefore as in the good of every member the body is intereſſed, ſo alſo in the prayers of every one the body is intereſſed; therefore as we are to look upon all the prayers of Chriſt not as the prayers of a private man, but as put up by him who is the Churches Head, ſo we are alſo to look upon the prayers of all the Saints, not as of private men, but alſo as under the relation of memberſhip, under which they ſtand in the body of Chriſt; and as we are to look upon their ſufferings as being of the body, ſo are we alſo to look upon their ſervices as being done by the members of the ſame body, and all of them for the good and benefit of the body. Moſes obtained great benefits to the people of Iſrael by his prayers, their bleſſings depended much upon his prayers: Pardon them as thou haſt done it from Egypt till now; and the Lord anſwers, I have pardoned them according to thy word; and again Moſes prays, Go before them, or carry us not from hence; the Lord anſwers, My preſence ſhall go p. 413with you, and I will give you reſt. The bleſſings that godly men attain are not barely the fruit of their own prayers, and yet they that are godly do pray alſo, but they are a concurrence of prayers, and by them we do attain mercy; yea ſometimes when we are little able to pray for our ſelves, when the ſpirit of prayer is low in its actings in us, yet then the ſouls of ſome of the Saints are upon the wing, and the Lord will have reſpect unto them, for they are of the body. As we rejoice not in the gifts of others, becauſe we look upon them as given unto other men, and do not look upon them as a part of the body, and ſo ſee our intereſt in them, that they are given them for our good, and therefore they are to us rather matter of envy than of rejoicing; ſo we take no comfort in the prayers of the Saints upon this ground, becauſe we look not upon them as praying upon the ſame common intereſt with us, and as praying for us as fellow-members, who have with them an equal intereſt in the good of the body and its proſperity. And as they obtain mercy, ſo they keep off judgment; if Noah, Daniel, and Job ſtood before me; he ſpeaks it as the moſt effectual way of prevailing with him, and as that which he would leaſt of all deny, and yet the Decree being gone forth, his heart could not be towards them. The Saints have in their ages attained great mercy for the body, and therefore Elijah is called the chariot of Iſrael and the horſe-men thereof, their main defence lay in him, under Heaven they had not ſo great a one: and therefore godly men in all ages have looked upon it as a great miſery for the godly of the age to be removed, as having their party and their intereſt upon earth weakned; as if an eminent man of any party be taken away, it's looked upon as a great weakning to them, and he is thereupon gre…y bewailed by them. Wherefore it is reproved as their ſin, Eſa. 57.1. That the righteous periſh, and no man layeth it to heart, &c. and Mic. 7.1. it is expreſſed by the Prophet as a duty; and ſo it was with Auſtins mother, he ſaies of her, Orationibus vivebat, and it was in anſwer to her prayers that he was new-born unto God, Parturivit me, & carne ut in hanc temporalem, & corde ut in aeternam lucem renaſcerer, Tom. 9. cap. 8. She travailed with me, as in her fleſh to bring me forth to a temporal life, ſo in her heart to an eternal life: he was an eminent inſtrument in the Church in the age in which he lived, and mightily confuted the falſe Teachers of the time, and did gloriouſly defend the truth, and appeared for it, and all this he did attain by the benefit of his mothers prayers. And they do bring upon the Churches enemies very great and terrible judgments by their prayers; there is a fire that comes out of their mouths and conſumes their enemies, and that not as they are theirs, but as they are the Churches enemies. And not only the prayers of the preſent age ſhall have power againſt Antichriſt, but the prayers of the former ages; as to inſtance in the prayers of David taking place againſt Judas, Act. 1. ſo there have been prayers for many years that have been going for the Reformation of England from Popery, which have been anſwered eminently in our daies, and will be more and more anſwered in ſucceeding generations, the people of God pray continually for more degrees of grace and light. Now it's true, that when men ſtrike an Oak with many blows, yet it doth not fall till the laſt blow, and yet we ſay, that it is not the laſt blow that fells the Oak, but all that went before; ſo 'tis here, as it was in the death of Chriſt, his laſt act was the full payment, but yet all his former obedience and ſufferings did concur thereunto to all that full ſatisfaction that was given by him to the Father; and it's dreadful when the prayers of all the people of God do fall upon a man, ſurely vengeance will overtake him as an armed man. Look as all the prayers of the Saints do at the laſt day meet together in the Devils deſtruction; ſo it ſhall be in the deſtruction of any great and eminent inſtrument of his; as in attaining ſpecial deliverances, the Lord ſtands upon number, ſo it is in bringing in eminent judgments alſo; and therefore Hezekiah ſends for Iſaiah and tells him, That the children were come to the birth, the promiſes did travail with deliverance, but there was no ſtrength to bring forth, unleſs he would add his prayers alſo; and ſo it is with the people of God, it is much more to loſe one praying man than a plotting or a fighting man; and that is the meaning, that great Babylon came into remembrance before God; how was it? it was from the Lords remembrancers, for the Vials did come out of the Temple, Rev. 16.1. all their prayers met together,Rev. 16.1.Rev 16:1 and there is a full cry, that the Lord is put in remembrance, which by his long delay and forbearance he had ſeemed to neglect and forget.

8. By their Faith the people of God attain much mercy to others as well as by their prayers; for as by their prayers they do not only attain mercy for themſelves, ſo they do not only by their faith attain mercy for themſelves: it is ſaid of the men that came to Chriſt Jeſus, That when he ſaw their faith, he ſaid to the ſick of the palſie, Son thy ſins are forgiven thee, &c. Mark 2.5. There is a queſtion put by Interpreters, whether any man be ſaved by another mans faith, or what benefit a man may have by the faith of another? to which they commonly give this anſwer, That the faith of others may be very uſeful p. 414unto men, though they be ſinful, in reference unto temporal mercies and deliverance, as the Saints are ſaid by faith to ſubdue kingdoms, attain promiſes, ſtop the mouths of lyons; out of weakneſs were made ſtrong; Heb. 11.33.Heb 11:33waxed valiant in fight, and turned to flight the armies of the aliens, &c. in which works there were many others had the benefit of them beſides themſelves, and yet all is attributed to their faith. And therefore if by the faith of one many, even ungodly men, may fare the better, how much more may all the Saints (who are one body, and live not only for their own good, but alſo for the good one of another) by their faith attain very many temporal bleſſings one from another, and by the faith one of another? Yea they go further, though it's true that no man can be ſaved but by his own faith, and it was by this mans faith alſo laying hold upon pardon, that his ſins were forgiven him, yet ubi eſt mutuus fidei conſenſus ab aliis juvari aliorum ſalutem, Calv. The Lord, even in granting ſpiritual bleſſings to his people, hath as well reſpect unto the faith of others, as unto the prayers of others: as when we pray and others pray for us, the mercy is granted as a return unto both prayers; ſo when we believe, and others alſo do believe, the mercy is given with reſpect to the faith of both parties: and this is the bleſſed condition of Saints, that they do not only attain temporal mercies one for another, and are the better in temporal things, but even in ſpiritual and eternal things they do attain mercy, as by their prayers, ſo by the faith one of another; as they may pray one for another, ſo they may alſo believe one for another; and the mercies be granted to them, ſo there be a concurrence alſo of the faith of the perſon that receives the mercy. It was a great mercy that the people of Iſrael ſhould enter into …anaan by the faith of Abraham, and Jacob, and Joſeph, they only believing and embracing thoſe promiſes, which they never lived to ſee fulfilled and accompliſhed: But if it be ſo great a mercy to enter into the earthly Canaan, and yet ſome entred not becauſe of their unbelief (for a mans own proper unbelief may deprive him of thoſe temporal bleſſings, which a man might elſe attain) how much more a mercy is it to enter into the ſpiritual Canaan, that of the Goſpel, even the promiſed Land, the ſpiritual Priviledges of the Goſpel, and thoſe that are eternal; and that with the aſſiſtance of another mans faith? It is ordinary with us to deſire the prayers one of another, and by the ſame reaſon that we have an intereſt in the prayers of the faithful we have an intereſt in the faith of the faithful alſo; and we may as well deſire them to improve and exerciſe their faith for us, as their prayers; and ſo did Monica for her ſon; and parents ſhould do it for their children as well as for their own ſouls; and ſo for our friends alſo. Auſtin ſpeaking of the former experiences that his mother had in the anſwer and return of her prayers, ſaies of her, Semper orans tanquam chirographa tua ingerebat tibi, &c. And truly the returns of the faith of the faithful would be as great (though they be not ſo commonly known) as the return of their prayers, and yet their prayers will avail nothing, if they be not the prayers of faith.

§. 4. Thus we have ſpoken ſomething of the providential Kingdom in over-ruling all things for the good of the Saints in reference unto Good men; now follows that we ſpeak ſomething alſo in reference unto Evil men; for there is a Government and Soveraignty that the Lord doth alſo exerciſe towards them, and all for the good of his own people. Now the Lord Jeſus hath a rule and dominion not only over his own houſe, but alſo over the world; and he doth rule them with a rod of iron, Pſal. 2.9. and it is in this only that the people of God, when they look upon wicked men in the world, can comfort themſelves that the Lord reigns, and the power and the government of themſelves is not in their own hand, even the veſſels of diſhonour in his great houſe (whether we underſtand it of the Church or of the world) are for the maſters uſe, and at the maſters command; even wicked men as well as Devils, are not at their own diſpoſe, there is a government that he doth exerciſe over them, for he hath undertaken the government of all things for the good of his people, and for their ſake, and if he do adminiſter all for their good, he muſt rule their enemies in all things, as well as the Saints, that the people of God may ſay, That neither Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor any creature ſhall be able to ſeparate them from the love of God in Chriſt, Rom. 8.38. he orders all the motions of enemies as well as the motions of his people, as the Captain of the Lords Hoſt, and he orders all things ſo as it ſhall be for the deſtruction of the enemy at the laſt; for all things are put under his feet, the laſt enemy that is deſtroyed is death; therefore all is put under his government, and he doth rule them ſo, as that in their own actings they do find their own deſtruction; his government over them is that they might be deſtroyed, and in their own way find their deſtruction, but yet ſo as they ſhall be wholly ruled and ordered for the good of his people, and that will appear in theſe particulars.

1. That they have a being and ſtanding in the world is for the good of the Saints, caeteri mortales qui ex iſto numero non ſunt, ad utilitatem naſcuntur iſtorum, Auguſt. They p. 415had never been born, if God had not had ſome uſe to make of them for the good of the Saints: non enim quenquam iſtorum Deus temerè aut fortuito creat, God creates none of them in vain, as if he knew not what uſe to make of them, it is for the Saints ſake that they have their ſtanding in the world; for it is for them that the world ſtands, it is but that the number of the Elect may be gathered and perfected; and when that is done, the ſtage of this world ſhall be taken down.

It is alſo for the Saints ſakes, that Hypocrites have a ſtanding in the Church,Mat. 13.29.Matt 13:29 Mat. 13.29 Leſt while you gather up the tares, you root up alſo the wheat with them: ſo that the tares are to ſtand for the wheats ſake, but it is but till the harveſt, till the wheat be ripe; and then the Lord will ſoon command that the tares be gathered alſo and burnt. That Parable, becauſe it is much urged now adays, as it hath been by ſome of the Anabaptiſts of old, againſt the power of the civil Magiſtrate in puniſhing groſs offenders, that all are to be left unto their liberty, and unto the judgment of the Lord at his coming, and therefore none are to be puniſhed nor reſtrained, which is the greateſt cruelty that can be under the pretence of liberty to go on in ſin without reſtraint; therefore it will be neceſſary that we inquire a little into it. (1) We will inquire of whom this is ſpoken: which I conceive to be of the Church, and not of all the world; for it is ſaid to be the Lords Field, where the good are ſown with the bad, which can be meant no where but in the Church, unleſs we will ſay, as many men do, that there is ſalvation amongſt the Heathens, that know not Chriſt. And it's alſo the ſcope of the other Parable, of a people where the Goſpel is preached, Mat. 13.24, 25.Verſ. 24, 25. the Kingdom of Heaven is the Church of Chriſt in its outward condition, neither do I conceive that it can be manifeſted, that any where the whole world is ever called the Kingdom of Heaven, and the ſervants ſpeak of it with admiration, Thou didſt ſow good ſeed in thy field, from whence then hath it tares? Now never any man did wonder that there ſhould be tares in the world, which lies in wickedneſs: and for that Chriſt doth interpret the field to be the world, it is not to be underſtood (I conceive) of all the wide world, but by a figure for the Church that is gathered out of the world, as it is uſual in the Scripture to be put; Joh. 3.16. For God ſo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, &c. 1 Joh. 2.2. Not only for us, but alſo for the ſins of the whole world. (2) The ſtate of this Church, this field of the Lord is in this life ſaid to be a mixed ſtate, there are tares and wheat mixed in it, which is not to be underſtood of all ſorts of ſinners; it is true it's the ſeed of the wicked one, but it is the ſeed that is in the Lords field where groſs offenders are not to be ſuffered or ſuppoſed to be; but it is ſpoken of Hypocrites, ſuch as the ſervants did not diſcern at firſt, but they grew up with the ſeed, and had a great likeneſs with it, as Jerome obſerves, Zizania quamdiu herba eſt, grandis eſt ſimilitudo; for in verſ. 26. 'tis ſaid, When the blade was ſprung up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares; therefore it ſeems by this plainly, that the tares are not the ſame with briars and thorns, for they would have been at firſt diſcerned, but they were like unto the wheat for a great while, ſo that they diſcovered them not: therefore the ſeed of the wicked one ſown in the Lords field are Hypocrites and unſound-hearted men. And if this be meant of the whole world, as the oppoſite party would expound it, then it muſt be meant of all ſorts of ſinners in the world that appear; not only Hereticks and Idolaters, as they would have it, but of all the children of the wicked one, unleſs they will give unto theſe this ſpecial honour, which is indeed due unto them (as much as now they are pleaded for) that they are only or mainly called the children of the wicked one; and as they do deſerve that name above all ſorts of ſinners. (3) This mixture cannot be avoided by all the care of the Lords ſervants; for they cannot foreſee them, and it's long before they do diſcover them, and when they are diſcovered, it is dangerous to pluck them up. Calvin ſaith, that Chriſt doth not here diſpute either the power of the Magiſtrate or of the Miniſter, or how they ſhould exerciſe their power; but only to free the weak from ſcandal, when in the Church they ſhall ſee Hypocrites and unſound-hearted men to continue; for this is and will be the ſtate of the Church of Chriſt in reference to its outward condition until the day of Judgment. But how comes it to paſs, that the ſinners muſt be reſtrained here only to Hereticks and Idolaters, when they are the children of the wicked one? and why not extended to murderers, and adulterers, and thieves? and why is not the one to be ſpared by this Parable as well as the other? and how comes it to paſs, that by the ſervants here are only to be meant the Magiſtrates, and not the Miniſters? and why are not Miniſters as well bound to tolerate theſe in Churches, as Magiſtrates in Common-wealths? and yet that they are to be caſt out of Churches, that is granted. Now why ſhould not theſe mixtures be let alone in the one as well as in the other? and why is not the direction given to one ſort of ſervants as well as the other? (4) It is for the Elects ſake, for the good ſeed, that they are ſpared. [1] There is a great deal of moderation p. 416to be uſed and care in reference unto the tares, that nothing be done unto them that may prejudice the good corn, that nothing be done in it to the offence or the ſcandal of them that be good, that they be offended with their rigour and bitter zeal. [2] Becauſe they that are tares now may afterwards become good corn, and therefore a great deal of patience is to be exerciſed towards them, though they diſcover themſelves to be tares. [3] That though there be ſtill ſome that are unſound, yet a man ſhould not be offended, and caſt off all Church-communion and Ordinances, but be willing to let both grow together unto the harveſt, and expect the Lords time for the rooting of them all out, till he ſhall ſend his reapers, becauſe we cannot fully diſcern who are tares, or who may ſo continue: but this is no way to infringe either the Magiſtrates power in reference unto the ſword, which is an Ordinance of God, and he is not to bear it in vain, nor Church-officers power of the Keys, who are not after all admonition and means uſed to reclaim them to bear them that be evil, but to put away wicked perſons, and to deliver men to Satan for the deſtruction of the fleſh, that the ſoul may be ſaved in the day of the Lord: neither is this Parable to be expounded ſo as to croſs other plain and clear Scriptures; for the Scripture is to be taken together, and the hard places of it are to be interpreted by them that are more clear.

2. God ſtirs up the ſpirits of wicked Magiſtrates for the good of the Saints; as we ſee it in Cyrus, though he were a cruel and a bloody Prince, yet he takes care for the building of the Temple, and gives forth commands for that work; and therefore Eſa. 44. ult. he doth ſay unto Cyrus, Thou art my ſhepherd; and ſo Alexander when he came to Jeruſalem, and Jaddus the High Prieſt came forth to meet him, by the providence of God it was ſo ordered, that he did give the Jews great priviledges, greater than any of the neighbour Nations, inſomuch that the Samaritans did ſtile themſelves Jews alſo, that they might partake in the ſame priviledges with them; Nebuchadnezzar gave commandment unto Nabuzaradin the Captain of his Guard concerning Jeremiah, God over-ruling his ſpirit therein, that the Prophet was cheriſhed rather than evilly intreated by him, &c.

3 By ſtirring up the ſpirits of wicked men to ſtand for a good cauſe, and to aſſiſt the people of God therein; as we ſee when Lot was carried Captive by the Kings, that Abraham did purſue them,Gen. 14. ult.Gen 14 and there did joyn with him Aner and Eſcol, &c. they that were but Heathens, yet were aſſiſtant unto Abraham in ſuch a work as this, the Lord did ſtir up their ſpirits; and ſo he doth many times by an over-ruling power ſtir up the ſpirits of men, otherwiſe uningaged and unintereſſed, to be inſtruments and means that the people of God may attain their rights, and all of it is only by this over-ruling hand of the Soveraignty of Chriſt even over ungodly men.

4. By their Perſecutions, the Lord doth ſtir men up many times to perſecute his people; Nebuchadnezzar is the rod of mine anger, and I ſend him againſt an hypocritical nation, though he know it not; but this is all the fruit, it is to take away their ſin, for by this ſhall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, Eſa. 27.9. it is to make them to beat their Altars into chalkſtones, &c. and let me tell you (becauſe we may look for times of perſecution) that great hath been the victory and the glory that the people of God have gotten even by the perſecution of ungodly men, nunquam majore triumpho vicimus. Nay if it be but a mock, a ſcoff, a reproach, a falſe report from an evil ſpirit, the Lord makes his uſe of it; as we have an inſtance in Auſtins mother, ſhe had by cuſtom, rather than inclination, learned to drink up full cups inhianter, but after a while the maid of the houſe and ſhe fell out, and in their difference the maid objecit hoc crimen amariſſimâ inſultatione, vocans meribibulam, quo illa ſtimulo percuſſa reſpexit foeditatem, confeſtim que damnavit & exuit, Confeſſ. lib. 9. cap. 8.

5. By their ſins, the people of God are warned; the Lord doing as the Lacedemonians, ſetting them forth as patterns of evil, that his children might flee them; hereſies ariſe in the Church, that ſo they that are approved may be made manifeſt; and Apoſtates, that Hymeneus and Philetus's Apoſtaſie might make the reſt of the people of God the more careful, that they that name the Name of the Lord Jeſus may depart from iniquity, when they ſee ſuch eminent and dangerous falls as theſe; and the Lord doth make uſe of their ſins in a way of admonition, as of their judgments alſo.

6. Their deſertions, and proving falſe to the people of God many times and forſaking them, as Egypt proved a broken reed, turn to the Saints good; that ſo they might cleave to the Lord alone, and that they may ſee that there is a deceit in all their former Lovers, there is no truſt unto ſuch men that ſpeak lyes in hypocriſie, and follow Gods cauſe and people only for loaves, &c. and God permits them ſo to do, that the people of God may ſay their truſt is in the Name of the Lord only, Aſſur ſhall not ſave us any more, nor King Jareb; they have all deceived us as a brook that paſſes by, &c. I might inſtance in many more particulars, as

p. 4177. Their reſtraints for their good; God puts a hook and a bridle upon them, they ſhall not be able to hurt the Saints, they ſhall hear a rumour that ſhall divert them another way.

§. 5. As the providential Kingdom is circa maxima, ſo it is circa minima, and all theſe are ordered by the Soveraignty of God for the good of his people, they have an intereſt in the Soveraignty of God even in the ruling of them alſo: here are two things to be ſpoken to. (1) That the ſmalleſt things come under the providential Kingdom of God, that is, under the Soveraignty and Supremacy of God. (2) That in the government of them he doth order all for the good of the Saints, that the Soveraignty of God works for them in ſmall things as well as in great things.

1. That the ſmalleſt things are ſubjected unto the Soveraignty of God, and that his Kingdom is ſeen in the government of theſe alſo. This I ſhall clear to you in a few particulars.

1. The Lord is called commonly in Scripture the Lord of Hoſts, and that not only in reference unto the Angels, and the Sun, Moon, and Stars, which are the Hoſts of Heaven, but even as to the Hoſts that are here below, Gen. 2.1. there is an Hoſt of the Earth as well as of Heaven; and as there is not the ſmalleſt Star in the Heavens, but belongs unto the one, ſo is there not the meaneſt, the pooreſt creature upon earth but is part of the other; the Locuſt, the Canker-worm, the Caterpillar, and the Palmer-worm my great army, ſays the Lord, Joel 2.25. And they are the Lords Hoſt in three reſpects. (1) Propter multitudinem, Joel 2.25.Joel 2:25for multitude, there are many of them gathered together, for they are not a few that make an army. (2) Propter praeparationem, in regard of preparation, every one comes armed and prepared for the ſlaughter or any work that the Lord hath to do either for relief or for deſtruction. (3) Propter ſubordinationem, by reaſon of their ſubordination, they all act in their places, and do the ſervice unto which they are particularly appointed, they do every one keep their ranks, fire and hail, ſnow and vapour, wind and ſtorm fulfilling his word; they do not thruſt one another out of their place, but there is a military order obſerved amongſt them. (4) Propter obedientiam, in regard of their obedience, they do all of them obey the word of command, which they do receive from the great Commander, for they are all of them under command; as the Centurion ſaid of his ſervants, I ſay to one, Go, and he goes, ſo doth the Lord alſo ſay unto the creatures; for it is ſaid, that even before an army of Locuſts, Caterpillars, and Palmer-worms, the Lord doth utter his voice, he doth command the winds and the ſea, and they obey him.

2. Chriſt himſelf doth extend the care and the rule of God unto the meaneſt and ſmalleſt things, Mat. 10.29. Are not two ſparrows ſold for a farthing? Mat. 10.29. Luk. 12.6.Matt 10:29Luke 12:6A ſparrow is put for the vileſt and the moſt contemptible of all birds, partly for their ſhort life; for Pliny ſaith, that they do not live above one year, negat anno diutiùs vivere; and partly for their price, for foreign, eſt moneta minutiſſima; and yet theſe things which are of ſo little worth and value amongſt men, they are not forgotten by God, they are under the care of God; and they fall not upon the ground, that is, either in reſpect of their motion, they do not pitch upon the ground but it is by the direction of God, or elſe of their deſtruction; they are not taken and killed, neither do they die, but it is by the Soveraignty of God, and by his appointment; there is not one of them that is turned out of life, but it is by the command of him that gave it life, &c. yea, Mat. 10.30. The hairs of your head are numbred; Mat. 10.30.Matt 10:30ſo that the Providence of God extends not only to the ſouls of men, that he takes care for them, but even unto their bodies, and not only unto the chief and principal part of them, but even unto their very ſuperfluities and parts that are excrementitious, the very hairs of their head; and therefore he ſaith, Luk. 21.18. That there ſhall not a hair of their head periſh, Luk. 21.18.Luke 21:18that is, quidpiam veſtrum quod non ſit cum gloria Dei & veſtrâ utilitate conjunctum. Itáne perit anima, cujus capillus non perit? Auguſt. Can the ſoul periſh, if not one hair? He it is that feeds the Ravens, he gives them their meat in due ſeaſon, they gather it, for he doth hear the young Ravens when they cry. Ariſtotle ſaith, l. 6. in Animal. c. 11. 5. that the Ravens, when they had many young ones more than they were able to feed, did commonly leave and deſert ſome of them, but even thoſe that were deſerted by their dam, they are provided for by God, and he doth hear them when they cry, he it is that cloaths the lilies alſo, and the graſs of the field, which doth flouriſh to day, and to morrow is cut down and caſt into the oven: Providentia à ſummo ad ima pertingit, floſculorum at que foliorum pulchritudo comprobat.

3. They do work for ends which they themſelves underſtand not, and yet they do accompliſh them; as the Flyes, and the Frogs, and the Locuſts againſt Pharaoh, which one wind brought, and another carried away; and ſo for the Quails, with which the Iſraelites were fed in the Wilderneſs, &c. and the ſhe-Bears that came out of the Wood, and deſtroy'd the Children, and the Lyon that ſlew the Prophet that came from Judah, but did neither devour the Carkaſs, nor rent the Aſs, but the Aſs and the Lyon ſtand p. 418by the Carkaſs, that the hand of God in a more than an ordinary manner might appear therein; and Amos 9.3. If they go down to the bottom of the Sea; I will command the Serpent, and he ſhall bite them; all that is done, is done at his Command. If we ſee many Arrowes ſhot, and all of them hit the mark, we know that the Arrowes could not direct themſelves, there muſt be the hand of a skilfull Archer, that did direct them, though we ſee it not: and ſo it is here alſo, for all the Creatures are as ſo many Arrowes ſhot at a Mark, and they do all of them attain an end, which they underſtand not, and therefore they come under the Government of an higher hand. It is a vain conceit of proud men, ignorant of the Scripture, to ſay, It is a diſhonour to God, to take care of theſe ſmall things, Non vacat exiguis, &c. Si non eſt Dei probrum minutiſſimas feciſſe, multò minùs factas regere. Nay, it is infinitely unto the glory of God, and his honour, that he has a Wiſdom and a Power that can reach ad conſervationem & gubernationem minutiſſimorum: That he is ſo abſolute a Lord, as that nothing ſubſiſts and hath a being without him, ſo every thing that has a being, is ordered by him, and he that hath created it to an end, doth alſo order and direct it to that end for which he did create it.

2. All theſe ſmall things the Lord doth order and govern for the good of his People; they have a benefit by them all, which will appear in two things: (1) As he did create all things below for man, ſo he doth rule and govern them all for mans ſake; and now man is fallen▪ he doth preſerve the World for the Saints, and it is for their ſake that he doth govern the World, 1 Cor. 9.9. Doth God take care for Oxen? or ſpeaks he this for our ſakes? Yea verily for our ſakes; Non curat Deus de pecoribus propter ipſa, ſed propter nos quorum cauſâ creavit. Ambroſ. A ſtatu & conſummatione Eccleſiae finis omnium pendet; tolle hanc, & fruſtra inferior …eatura revelationem filiorum Dei expectat, &c. Bern. in Cant. Serm. 58. Therefore he ruling all things for the ſake of the Saints, they muſt be all order'd for the good of the Saints. (2) All theſe things come not only under a providence, but under a promiſe, and that ſurely doth belong to none but to them that are heirs of ſalvation,Hoſ. 2.18.Hos 2:18 heirs of promiſe, he will make a covenant for you with the beaſts of the field, the fowls of heaven, and the creeping things of the ground: no creature is properly capable of a Covenant but the reaſonable creatures; but the meaning is, that the Lord will in his providence ſo order all the motions of theſe things, that they ſhall all of them work for the good of the Church, as if they were bound in Covenant ſo to doe, for a firm Eſtabliſhment in their creation is called a Covenant, Jer. 33.20.Jer 33:20Jer. 33.20. if you can break my Covenant of the day, and my Covenant of the night; that is, an eſtabliſhment by a ſure and ſetled decree, &c. they ſhall do you no hurt, they ſhall do you good; for the enmity and croſs-working of the creatures came in by ſin, and that Covenant which takes away ſin, ſhall take away all contrariety in the creatures alſo, in their working, ſo that they ſhall do you good and no hurt all your dayes, Job 5.23.Job 5.23.Job 5:23 Thou ſhalt be in league with the ſtones of the Field; it is a Covenant of Gods making, men cannot make a Covenant with them, they will not be bound by mans Covenant, it is not an actual, but a vertual Covenant, that they ſhall do a m…n good, and no hurt, it is a league offenſive and defenſive, &c. There is a threefold interpretation of it, and all of them fit to this purpoſe. [1] In thy walking, the Stones of the field ſhall not offend thee, the Lord ſhall ſo lead thee, that thou ſhalt not daſh thy foot againſt a ſtone; tibi nocere non poſſunt, ſed coguntur inſervire. [2] Stones were for bounds and Land-marks, and they ſhall not be removed; but you ſhall continually enjoy the bounds of your own habitation, they ſhall not be removed, it ſhall be as ſure as if you were in league with the Stones, that they ſhall not depart from your bounds. [3] Cocceius hath out of Ʋlpian a certain puniſhment, foreign appellant, whence they did uſe to heap ſtones upon a ground, that it might never be plowed, to hinder its fruitfulneſs. Thus the ſenſe is, The Stones ſhall be at league with thee, that none of them ſhall hinder the fruitfulneſs of thy land, and make it lye barren and untilled, as in judgment they might doe. Now if there be a Covenant by God made with all theſe for his people, then ſurely the Motions and the Actings of all theſe ſhall be for the good of his People.

But you will ſay, In what particular do all theſe little things work for the good of the Saints? It will clearly appear in theſe particulars. 1. In the ſmalleſt things the people ſee God, and their ſpirits are elevated and raiſed up to behold him in them▪ for not only the Heavens declare the Glory of God,Pſal. 19.1.Ps 19:1 but even the meaneſt Creatures in all their motions do it; Repraeſentat quaelibet herba Deum. Now there is a threefold Viſion of God in this World, in his Works, and in his Word, and in his Son; and it is of ſpecial uſe, that the works of God are unto the Saints in all their being and motions, that they can ſee ſomething of God in them. Our Communion with God depends upon our Viſion of God, and the more we ſee God in all things, the more we converſe with him. Now there is not the leaſt of all the Creation of God but it doth repreſent him to us, and we look upon it p. 419as a footſtep of God, it is that which doth raiſe up our hearts unto Heaven while we are upon Earth, and cauſeth us to look upon nothing ſmall that hath ſo glorious a Creator, and ſo wiſe a Diſpoſer; in minimis lauda magnum, ſays Auſtin when he ſpeaks de culice; there is much of God to be ſeen, and the heart is much to be over-aw'd not only in the leſſer things of the Word, but alſo of the Works of God.

2. It is unto the people of God matter of praiſe, even in the actings of the meaneſt of the creatures, to ſee how they work unto an end that they know not, but the wiſe diſpoſer of them knows all their motions, and directs them unto his end; the out-goings of the morning and evening do praiſe thee, that is, objectivè and occaſionaliter, as they give unto his people matter and occaſion of praiſe. In the creation, the Morning Stars did ſing, Job 38.7. and ſo they do in all the Executions of Providence alſo, fitting them for this end, and guiding them to this end, &c. Auſtin in Pſal. 148. blames thoſe that diſlike and find fault with the works of God; In officina non audent vituperare fabrum, tamen audent reprehendere in mundo Deum. Perdidiſti. Hallelujah. A man doth loſe his praiſe, and the matter and occaſion of it, which is unto a Saint a great loſs; for praiſe is his delight, and he loves the occaſion of it.

3. There is great matter of Meditation even in theſe ordinary things, ſuch as do mightily affect the Souls of the Saints; it was ſo to David, Pſal. 148.7, 8, 9, 10. Praiſe the Lord from the earth ye Dragons, and all deeps, fire and hail, ſnow and vapours, ſtormy wind, fulfilling his Word, mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars, Beaſts and all cattel, creeping things, and flying fowls; and how can this be? Nudae creaturae Deum celebrant, Moller.dum ad mirandam ejus ſapientiam, & potentiam quotidie oſtendunt. The dangers prevented, and the good things conferred, ſuch as are ſecrets unto us, and we know not, we conſider not of; as Luther ſaith of himſelf in the like caſe, Somnia noſtra obſervat, quando neſcimus nos vivere, &c. equidem odi carnem meam quòd haec ſcio vera eſſe, & iis tamen non ſeriò afficior, &c. It gives the Soul high matter of Meditation, puts it into the Mount with God.

4. It is unto the People of God a great ground of exerciſing their Faith, and that in two things, (1) Upon the word of Promiſe, that all theſe creatures are his by Covenant in all their motions, and therefore he has not a common intereſt in them, with the reſt of the world, but they come unto him from another hand, and he receives them by another tenure. Now any mercy that has the reſpect of the Covenant put upon it, is infinitely heightned unto them; the ſmalleſt mercy enjoy'd by Covenant, is better than the greateſt without the Covenant; it is better be as low as Hell with a promiſe, than in Paradiſe without it: therefore it is true, that other men walk upon the Stones and they hurt them not, and the Beaſts break not in upon them, the Sun ſhines, and the Rain falls upon them; yet here is the ſweetneſs to a Believer, This I enjoy as a fruit of an everlaſting Covenant, as an heir of Promiſe, and as a Pledge of an eternal Inheritance. (2) It will be a ground to exerciſe a mans Faith for a ſupport; if the Lord cloath the graſs of the field, how much more will he cloath you? and if he feeds the Ravens, he will ſurely not ſtarve his Children; nay, if the ſupply of all the Creatures will be a Proviſion for you, you ſhall not want it, they ſhall all act for you, and if it were poſſible to put a Saint of God in this life in ſuch a condition as he ſhould want the ſupply of all the creatures at once, they ſhould ſurely all work for his good; for the Lord provides them of purpoſe, and for that very end that they may work for you, and therefore are they continued in their being, and to that end are govern'd by him.

5. The Love of the People of God is drawn out by them exceedingly, even by ſmall Mercies; for it is not the greatneſs of the Bleſſing, but the abundance of Love diſcovered to the ſoul in it, that takes a gracious heart: for we love him becauſe he loved us firſt. And as his love is diſcovered, ſuch are the outgoings of our love to him again. Now theſe ſmall things may be magni amoris indicium; an ordinary turn of the creature may teſtifie a great deal of love from God to the Soul, as when Iſrael came out of Egypt, Joh. 19.36.John 19:36not a Dog did move his tongue, Exod. 11.7. if they had, the matter had not been great, for in the night they uſe to bark; but though there was a great cry amongſt the Egyptians, yet amongſt the Iſraelites, not a Dog did move his tongue. Signum eſt magni ſilentii dum canes ſilent. A great love may be ſeen in an ordinary Providence to a man, as Grapes to be had in a wilderneſs, as a Meſſenger ſent one of a thouſand, a word ſpoken in due ſeaſon, a Scripture opened to me when I had need, it was directed to me in my neceſſity; ſuch a comfort adminiſtred at ſuch a time, when I was in extremity, and it came in the ſeaſon of it, it is an argument of great love; as when David was beſieged, and Saul thought that he had them ſure, now a report muſt be brought that the Philiſtins had invaded the Land, and ſo change his Counſels, and divert the forces from purſuing David.

6. Small and ordinary things ſhall be for their preſervation, Exod. 23.25. He ſhall bleſs p. 420thy bread and thy water, and will take ſickneſs away from the midſt of thee: that whereas other mens food breeds and nouriſhes diſeaſes, his food ſhall be bleſt unto him, that it ſhall be healthful, and not hurtful; and when Sennacherib is come to beſiege Jeruſalem, after all his ranting and threatning, he ſhall hear a rumour, a report ſhall be brought him, that the King of Ethiopia had invaded his Land, and ſo change his purpoſe, and it ſhall be for the preſervation of the people of God.

7. Ordinary things ſhall tend unto the deſtruction of the enemies, and they ſhall fall by the turning of an ordinary providence, the ſmalleſt things ſhall even ruine perſons and nations; as Pharaoh and all Egypt were even deſtroyed by flies and lice, &c. the Sun ſhines upon the water, and they ſhall ſay that it is blood; The Kings have deſtroyed one another, 2 King. 3.22, 23. Sometimes by the turning of the wind, great things have been done for the people of God, great battels have been won both by Land and Sea; and ſometimes by rain, ſtrange things have been wrought for the defeating of the counſels of enemies; Thou breakeſt the ſhips of Tarſhiſh with an Eaſt-wind, &c. And we know what ſmall providences have caſt the balance for the people of God againſt the enemies, and that in many doubtful caſes, when they had nothing but providence to work for them.

8. Conſider how by ſmall and ordinary things the Lord doth preſerve the lives, and ſupport his people in the world, by cauſing the Sun to ſhine, and the rain to fall, the earth to bring forth, the fig-tree to bloſſom; and we ſee he gives them food out of the earth, and the beaſts do them ſervice, and they do it willingly and readily. Now what a miſerable life were the life even of a Saint here, if it were not for ſuch common and ordinary refreſhments; if the Lord ſhould as a Lion watch over us, as he doth threaten them, he would be as a Lion and a Leopard in the way, to obſerve them? There is a providence that hath given theſe unto the ſons of God as their inheritance, ſo that they do injoy the comfort of them, and eat the fruit of them day by day; the ſervice of thy hand maid, and of thy beaſt, all act for thee, as being made by God to be thy ſervants. It is true, that the ſervice of the Angels is comfortable, but it would not be ſufficient without theſe which are ours in a way of ordinary providence;Cogita te eſſe in regione deſerti, & in peregrinatione vitae, Aug. and ſuch as we account leſs, though we taſte the good of them from day to day. Surely therefore all things, even the ſmalleſt things, ſhall work together for good to them that love the Lord, for the good of their ſpiritual and temporal ſtate alſo.