A Discourse of the Two Covenants, Book 3 · Chapter 6 · Section 5

A Discourse of the Two Covenants · Book 3 · Chapter 6 · Section 5

p. 429SECT. V. The Saints Intereſt in Gods Providential Kingdom, as it regards goods and evils.

§. 1. NOw follows the fourth diſtinction, and that is, circa bona vel mala, about good and evil things: and in both theſe alſo Providence doth order all things for the ſpiritual good of his people. 1. There is a Providence circa bona, for all the good things which do befal the Saints; for every good doth come down from him who is the Father of lights, Jam. 1.17. they are all from him who is the Fountain of living waters; they are ſtreams from the upper Springs; as in Election there is a ſpecial love, ſo there doth flow from it a peculiar Providence: If God cloath the graſs of the field, much more you, O ye of little faith! He is the Saviour of all men, but ſpecially of them that believe; ſo that if we look upon all the good things which in this life befal them, they have it by a ſpecial providence over them for their good: for the preſent I ſhall inſtance in theſe particulars.

1. In appointing of their calling; for there is as truly an election unto calling, and a ſeparation by God, as there is unto life and ſalvation, Rom. 1.1. Separated unto the Goſpel, that is, ſet apart by God to preach the Goſpel; and ſo Gal. 1.15. ſays the Apoſtle, But when it pleaſed God, who ſeparated me from my mothers womb, and called me by his grace, &c. There is not a man that comes into the world, but the Lord doth appoint him in what condition of life he ſhall ſerve, and he doth ſet him apart unto an imployment; for he is the Lord of Hoſt, and he doth ſet every man his ſtation. As it is ſaid of Peter, The Lord did appoint him by what death he ſhould glorifie God; ſo it's true of all the people of God, he doth appoint them by what condition of …ife they ſhould glorifie him; and though Paul went on in another way a long time, and little intended any ſuch thing, yet God ordered it ſo, that he would reveal his Son in him, both per modum objecti, ob…ectively, that others ſhould ſee Chriſt in him, and ſubjecti, ſubjectively, that he himſelf ſhould ſee the diſcoveries of Chriſt by a Spirit of Revelation, and he ſhould be a glorious inſtrument in the hand of the Lord to reveal Chriſt unto others: and in this there is a wonderful and a gracious hand of Providence unto his people, that unto other men their callings are for their hurt, and their callings as well as their tables become their ſhares, that they are intangled by them; yet they are for the good of his people. Thus Luther doth obſerve of himſelf, in Gen. 17. Deus voluit me eſſe concionatorem, & ſuſtinere pr…pter verbum odium & invidiam mundi: Aliis imponit laborem manuum, & videntur mihi beati, &c. exerceor periculis & tentationibus, & tamen mechanicus ille aequè at que ego ſalvatur. But he ſaith this was the calling in which God had ſet him, and in this he muſt walk with him, and the works of this calling were unto him the works of God, &c. Of this we have a famous inſtance in Junius, his father was exceedingly againſt his being a Preacher of the Goſpel, was deſirous that he might have godlineſs in himſelf, but that he ſhould never be a Teacher of it, vivus non fuiſſet paſſus, &c. but in ſententia planè eram diverſa à ſententia patris, in Vita Junii. To ingage the ſpirits of men, and to order occaſions and opportunities that men might glorifie God in ſuch a way of ſervice as he hath appointed for them, and that it ſhould be ſuitable to their ſpirits, their parts, their graces, and they ſhall be par negotio, fitted for the work unto which the Lord hath called them, that they may honour God in it with pleaſure, ſweetneſs, and delight; there is a ſpecial hand of a merciful and a gra…ous Providence therein.

2. In ſetting them their habitation; the earth is the Lords, and he hath given it unto the children of men, but he hath ſet every man in his place in the earth, the bounds of their habitation are ſet; ſo he doth tell Paul, I will ſend thee afar off to the Gentiles, that he ſhould preach amongst the Gentiles the unſearchable riches of Chriſt. The Miniſters of the Goſpel are the Stars in the right hand of Chriſt, …ev. 1. ult. and he doth ſet them in their orbs where they ſhall ſhine, as well as give them light by which they ſhall ſhine; there are ſome Stars primae magnitudinis, of the firſt magnitude, but they are not all ſo, one Star differs from another in glory: Jonah muſt go to Nineveh, Amos muſt propheſie at Bethel, though it be the Kings Chappel, and the Kings Court; John Baptiſt muſt preach in the Wilderneſs of Judea, and he muſt not ſpare the ſins of any of his Auditors, neither the Publicans nor the Souldiers, and if the Phariſees come, they ſhall meet alſo with their reproof: O generation of vipers, who hath forewarned you to flee from the wrath to come? We have an inſtance in Nazianzen, who was choſen by the people to be Miniſter at Nazianzum, which was the place of his birth, and from whence he hath his name; but at his hearing of it he did declare p. 430the work was that which he thought himſelf no way fit for, and yet after ſome ſtay, and much ado, the Lord brought him thither: and ſo for Muſculus, when he was turned out of the Covent, and deprived of all means of livelihood, he betook himſelf unto a Weavers houſe that was an Anabaptiſt, and there he wrought ſome two years, where confuting a Teacher which uſed to come unto his maſter, he was thereupon diſplaced; and now he knew not what to do, and then reſolved for a livelihood to go work in the Town-ditch, for they were making of Fortifications, and walking there the night before he made theſe Verſes, Eſt Deus in coelis, &c. and ſo next morning one ſent unto him to be Miniſter of a Church, &c.

3. In giving them occaſion and opportunity to exerciſe their graces; for opportunity is the ſpring time of grace and of ſin, Phil. 4.10. Ye but wanted opportunity; and Judas ſought an opportunity to betray Chriſt; there is much within, that if there were not opportunity would never be vented, it's this that gives the vent unto the inward man. Now opportunity and occaſion of ſinning is a judgment, and it is one way that the Lord hath a hand in the ordering of ſinful actions, he doth give the occaſion to them; he ordered it that Judas ſhould have the bag, and Achan ſhould ſee the wedge, and the young man have a harlot come out to meet him, &c. So the Lord doth give occaſion and opportunity for the exerciſing of graces, and it is a ſpecial providence ſo to do; 1 Cor. 1.6, 9. A great door is open to me, that is, a great and a bleſſed opportunity of ſervice; Rev. 3.8. I will ſet before thee an open door, that is, give a man a great opportunity; and to continue to a man ſuch an occaſion as this is, a door that ſhall not be ſhut; though not only ſervice, but even opportunity of ſervice, ſhall be ſure to meet with many adverſaries. This is a ſpecial mercy unto the people of God, and a great gift, if the Lord doth in providence ſo order things, that it ſhall be ſo unto them. So the obedience of Abraham in leaving of his country, and his offering of his ſon; the ſtrength of Jacob in prayer, therefore Eſau ſhall meet him; the chaſtity of Joſeph, and the patience of Job, the zeal of Jehoſaphat, and his readineſs to work for God, he …d abundance, and his heart was lifted up in the ways of Gods commandments; and the courage and height of ſpirit in Luther, he ſhall meet with oppoſition that ſhall draw it forth, gratia vexata ſeipſam prodit, he had never appeared unto that h…ight, had it not been that the Lord by their oppoſition gave him occaſion and opportunity for ſuch eminent ſervice:Prov. 17.16.Prov 17:16 and Prov. 17.16. Why is there a price in the hand of a fool? foreign hoc pretium, this great and this excellent price, ſome expound it of riches, which the Lord doth give men, that they might by them endeavour to get wiſdom, and to exerciſe it; but it is, I conceive, of a larger extent, and to be underſtood of any talent which the Lord doth put into a mans hand, it is all given by God, that it may be uſed and improved unto a ſpiritual end, and the wiſdom and the folly of a man is much diſcovered in the uſe of the price that is put into his hand, wiſe men have a heart to it, that is, they do underſtand it, what they are betruſted with, and they have a will and a deſire, and they do their endeavour to imploy it, but fools underſtand not what it is, neither do they conſider it, and therefore they have no deſire to uſe it unto the end for which God gave it, they know not the ſeaſon in which talents are continued, nor the end for which they were committed unto men, and therefore they uſe them for their hurt, and are but as a ſword put into a mad mans hand to hurt all that comes near him, and they caſt fire-brands, and ſay, I am in ſport, &c. Now it … true, opportunity is a great talent, it is a mans day of viſitation for ſervice, as there is a day of viſitation for grace, and if a man know it not, and take it not, but let it ſlip, it is his folly and his ſin, and will prove a curſe to him. There is many a …n that has as much ſin as another, but yet it is not ſo improved, becauſe he never had in providence the opportunity which makes others grow more exceedingly and out of meaſure ſinful, and ſo it is alſo in this, there is many a man that has much more grace, becauſe he had more opportunity of exerciſing it and drawing it forth, and ſo the habit is exceedingly improved, and there are glorious fruits of it, all which do abound unto the account of the Saints: thus providence orders opportunities of ſervice.

4. There is a ſpecial Providence unto his people in …ppointing of their ſocieties; that as ungodly men are permitted to be caſt upon ſome that will improve their ſin, for a man is much built up by his ſociety, either unto Heaven or Hell, Prov. 1.10. If ſinners entice thee conſent thou not; ſinners will entice, and a man ſhall be caſt into ſuch companies and ſuch occaſions of converſe he knows not how; ſo there is a providence alſo in caſting of the people of God upon their ſocieties, Act. 18.24, 25. Apollos came to Epheſus, and at the ſame time Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome: now Aquila and Priſcilla coming from Italy meeting with him, and they inſtructing him in the way of the Lord more perfectly, this was happy for him to meet with ſuch company, hoc providentiae meritò tribuendum eſt: inſomuch that the people of God bleſs God unto Eternity one for another; as p. 431the Martyr acknowledged it as a wonderful glorious providence unto him, that he was caſt into priſon, for there he became acquainted with that Angel of God John Bradford; ſo Auſtin doth acknowledge much of the goodneſs of God to him in the ſociety of Nebridius. But there is an excellent ſtory of Junius in this kind: he being in Leyden for his ſtudies ſake, there aroſe a great ſtir and tumult in the City, inſomuch that many of the inhabitants fled away for ſafety, and he amongſt the reſt fled to ſave his life, and being in the country thereabouts, he came to a country-mans houſe to beg ſome victuals, the country-man received him, and very courteouſly entertained him, and he began to talk with him about matters of Religion, which the country-man performed with ſo much zeal and affection, ego malus Chriſtianus ſiquidem Chriſtianus, &c. una & eadem hora gratiam ſuam in utroque explicavit Deus: à me ſcientiam ruſticus, ego ab eo zelum, &c. And he ſaith it did abide upon him mente fixâ, that he was not able to put the impreſſion out of his mind, and the Lord made it uſeful to him all his life after, &c.

5. In their preſervation in ſervice, and their diſmiſſions from ſervice. (1) There is a preſervation in ſervice, that they ſhall be continued to do the work for which the Lord has appointed them, and they ſhall not be cut off till they have finiſhed their work; ſo it was with the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, Luke 13.32. Go tell that Fox. It's true,Luk. 13.32.Luke 13:32 that he was a ſubtle enemy, and one that did want no skill to bring thoſe bloody deſigns he had to paſs, but yet there was a time ſet for Chriſts work, to day and to morrow and the third day; and during that time all his enemies were not able by power or policy to reach him; and then afterwards, I ſhall be perfected, foreign, that is, I ſhall have perfected the work of my miniſtry, and the perfection of a mans work, is the perfection of the man, he is never perfected till then: and ſo it is with the two Witneſſes, they ſhall not be killed till they have fulfilled their Prophecy; there is no putting any man out of imployment till the Lord diſcharge him, a man that has any work to do for God, no man can ſtop him in it before it is finiſhed. (2) When their work is done, they ſhall have a very gracious diſmiſſion, and they ſhall lie down with honour; the beſt of the Saints have but their time of ſervice, and they ſhall receive their diſcharge, but they ſhall come to their grave in a full age, as a ſhock of corn in the ſeaſon thereof, Job 5.26. Some men have a longer, and ſome have a ſhorter time of ſervice, but all have but their time. As ſinning is a warfare, and wicked men in that do receive their diſcharge, and it is in providence ordered ſo, that they dye when it is in judgment to them, when they leaſt expect it, and are leaſt prepared for it; ſo godly men dye when their graces are perfected, and their work is finiſhed, and never till then: and therefore when they ſought Luthers life ſo much, yet he could write this upon the wall of his Study, I ſhall not dye but live, and declare the works of the Lord, &c. And there are ſome men upon this account can laugh at dangers in a way of ſervice, and deride threatnings as the crackling of thorns under a pot, becauſe they ſay, My time is not in your hands, neither the time of my life, nor of my ſervice, and he that imploys me will uphold me, and will maintain me till the time of my diſmiſſion ſhall come, and then I ſhall go off the ſtage of this world in mercy, and lye down in peace, and reſt upon my bed after the time of my labour is ended.

6. There is a ſpecial Providence in bleſſing and providing for their poſterity; God has a ſpecial providence over thoſe that come out of the loyns of his own; for indeed he has ſo ordered all his Decrees, as that the greateſt part of the Elect comes out of the loyns of the Saints, Prov. 20.7. His children are bleſſed after him; there is grace in a ſpecial manner that is promiſed unto them, but 'tis a bleſſedneſs that doth deſcend upon them by virtue of their parents Covenant, Eſa. 59.21. My words which I have put in thy mouth ſhall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy ſeeds ſeed, ſaith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever: and Eſa. 44.3. I will pour my Spirit upon thy ſeed, and my bleſſing upon thy offſpring, &c. as Auſtin was filius lacrymarum, the ſon of his mothers prayers and tears, and the Lord did give an anſwer by giving the ſoul of her ſon unto her, that he was graciouſly converted unto the Lord, and proved an eminent inſtrument for ſervice in the Church of the Lord. The Saints can with Jacob pronounce upon them a bleſſing when they dye, and that out of faith in the promiſe, and the Lord willſurely make it good unto them; but we are begotten not of blood, Joh. 1.13. And therefore though many times ungodly men may and do come out of the loyns of the Saints, and the ſpiritual part of the Covenant is not made good unto many of the poſterity of his own people, yet the outward part of the Covenant ſurely is; though the Covenant for matter of grace be unto Iſaac, yet there is another part of it that is made good to Iſmael: Twelve Princes ſhall he beget, he hath the dew of heaven, and the fatneſs of the earth. God doth in outward things ſtrangely ſupply them, and provide for them: when the children of the wicked are vagabonds and beg their bread, Pſal. 37.25. Yet I never ſaw the righteous forſaken, nor his ſeed begging bread. Pſal. 37.25.Ps 37:25Not that a p. 432godly man may not be brought to beggery, or to live upon the charity of another, Jeſus Chriſt himſelf was ſo, he was poor, and ſo poor, that the women, Luke 8.3. his followers did miniſter unto him of their ſubſtance to ſupply his neceſſity in this life; but there is a fourfold interpretation of that place of Scripture. (1) Begging of bread is taken for extremity of poverty, the ſeed of the righteous are never ſo poor, but the Lord doth find out a way of ſupport and ſupply for them; he has ſaid, That the juſt ſhall inherit the earth. (2) It is not meant that it was never ſo, that they were never poor, but in Davids experience, he had never found it ſo. (3) There is another interpretation of Muis, and that is, ſemen ejus quaerens panem non derelictum, not forſaken, though begging of their bread; the Jews in this miſery that they are, yet grow rich where-ever they come, the temporal promiſe is fulfilled to them. (4) The term righteous may be reſtrained to ſuch as are eminently righteous as to works of mercy. So it follows verſ. 26. He is ever merciful, &c. So among the Hebrews, mercy towards the poor is termed foreign, Righteouſneſs.

§. 2. There is alſo a Providence circa mala, about evils; for his Kingdom rules over all, and this malum, evil is either culpae, of ſin, or poenae, of puniſhment, concerning both which the Soveraignty of God doth gloriouſly work, though it be in a far different way. Firſt, the Soveraignty of God in his providential Kingdom is converſant about the evils of ſin, they do all come under the government of God; and that it is ſo, will appear from Gen. 45.5, 6, 7.Gen. 45.5, 6, 7.Gen 45:5Gen 45:6Gen 45:7 it was the obſervation that Joſeph had about that unnatural act of his brethren, he looked upon a double hand in it, one was theirs, which he from a principle of meekneſs and forgiveneſs was ready to paſs by and over-look, and another was a ſpecial hand of providence in this ſin of theirs, and that he ſpeaks of three times, as being much affected with the Soveraignty of God ordering of that ſin of theirs both in reſpect of him and themſelves, Ye ſold me, but God ſent me, in that ſin of theirs there was an over-ruling hand of Soveraignty, and that he tells them three times together, That it was God ſent him, and that it was not they that ſent him: Ye ſent me out of malice, and God ſent me out of mercy, you to deſtroy me, God to preſerve both you and me; you ſent me, that I ſhould be a ſlave to man; God, that I might be a father to Pharaoh, and a Ruler of all the land of Egypt. We ſee what a glory here is over this ſinful action in reſpect of Joſeph, Pharaoh, Egypt, and the whole family of Jacob; and this was not a caſual thing, ſomething that came to paſs by accident or by chance, but it was by counſel, a Soveraignty that did with wiſdom lay this as a deſign and plot before-hand;Gen. 50.20.Gen 50:20 ſo Gen. 50.20. You thought evil, but God meant it unto good: the word in both places is foreign, which doth ſignifie a plotted thought done by counſel, Pſal. 10.2. Let them be taken in their devices that they have imagined, foreign: it is ſpoken there of plotted deſigned evil: and ſo it was here; the good was done by counſel, and it was a thing that comes not to paſs without foreſight, but God meant and plotted it for good; and therefore we read, Exod. 28.15. foreign opus ingeniosè inventum, a work that is artificially done, upon which many thoughts went before, it was brought unto a ripeneſs and perfection; and ſuch was this work here alſo, they plotted upon evil, and the Lord plotted and deſigned this their evil unto good:Eſa. 10.6, 7.Isa 10:6Isa 10:7 ſo Eſa. 10.6, 7. the King of Babylon comes againſt Jeruſalem, and the Lord ſends him not by any command, for the work was diſpleaſing unto him, as done by them, and for which he will viſit them, verſ. 12. but arcano imperio, by a ſecret act of the Soveraignty of God, ſo ordering things in providence, that this ſhould come to paſs; and therefore Ezech. 9.1. they are called the viſiters of the city, men appointed by the dominion of God unto that office, but yet the man had a thought of nothing leſs than to do Gods work in it, or to ſubmit unto his dominion, or execute his counſel, which unto them was ſecret, he meaneth not ſo, he thinks not ſo; there are two words uſed, foreign tacite ſecum cogitare, he hath not ſuch a thought that did ever enter into his heart, he never had ſo much as the leaſt ſecret imagination of any ſuch thing; and the other word is foreign, which doth ſignifie a deviſed, deſigned, and plotted thing, it was a thing that he never conſulted, never deſigned in all that he doth to execute my diſpleaſure againſt an hypocritical Nation; but yet he ſhall do my work, while he doth wholly intend his own, and deſign that only, and yet the work that ſhall be done upon Sion is the Lords work, verſ. 12. and by theſe two Scriptures it will clearly appear that the Soveraignty of God is converſant about the ſins of men, things in themſelves evil and forbidden of God, and yet his Soveraignty reacheth unto them. And this I ſhall branch into two heads. (1) The Soveraignty of God over a mans own ſins for the good of his people. (2) Over other mens ſins; he doth ſo imploy his Soveraignty about the ſins of men, that they ſhall be ordered for the good of the Saints.

1. The Soveraignty and Supremacy of God in reference unto the ſins of his own people; the Lord doth ſo rule and order all things thereby, that their own ſins ſhall in ſome kind work for their good, that which in its own nature is only evil, can by an almighty over-ruling p. 433hand, turn into good; which no man in the world is able to do; they may make good uſe of things in themſelves good, but they are never able to bring good out of that which is per ſe malum, of it ſelf ſinfull, as ſin is; and this I ſhall demonſtrate to you in four things, (1) In reſpect of the being of ſin. (2) In reſpect of the riſing of ſin. (3) In reſpect of the actings of ſin. (4) In reſpect of the raging of ſin, in an open violent ſcandalous way.

1. It will appear in reference unto the being of ſin in the Saints. The Lord, who has forbid all ſin even in the Principles and being of it, and has ſent his Son to take away ſin, yet he has in his Soveraignty ſo ordered the condition of the Saints here, that ſin ſhall have a being in them, and they ſhall never be perfectly freed from it; ſo that it will be true of the beſt while they are here, he that ſaith he has no ſin deceiveth himſelf, there will be reliquiae vetuſtatis, as Auſtin calls it, a Law in the members, a body of death. To be without ſin here is given to us as praeceptum, a precept in this life, or elſe Original ſin were no ſin, and the being of ſin were againſt no Law of God; the Law requires a holy Nature, as well as holy Actions; but in the life to come it ſhall be given to us as praemium, a reward; here as a Law, and hereafter as a Reward. And why has the Sovereignty of God ſo ordered it that thoſe that ſhall be freed from ſin perfectly in the Life to come, and whom Chriſt ſhall preſent without ſpot or wrinkle, or any ſuch thing, why will he ſuffer them to have the Remainders of ſin in them in this life, and they ſhall never be freed from it till their diſſolution? We ſhall eaſily ſee that he, as the Lord of all, has ordered this by his Sovereignty and Supremacy for the good of his people, and that it was for their ſakes.

(1) That hereby he may exalt the Grace of Juſtification unto the Saints; for God to pardon ſins paſt, it were rich mercy, infinite mercy; but for the Lord to leave ſin remaining in a man, and while he is conflicting with it, and fears he ſhall be overcome with it every moment, ſees himſelf ſtill to remain a ſinner, and yet the grace of Juſtification ſtill to hold out, that as there is in me a Fountain of ſin, ſo God is the Father of mercies, and he doth not only pardon at firſt, but when I ſin and endeavour to make a breach upon my Juſtification again, he ſhews mercy ſtill, and doth multiply to pardon, Iſa. 55.7. this exalts the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt imputed in juſtification; for tolle morbos, tolle vulnera, & nulla erit medicinae cauſa. Dam. Therefore a man doth daily waſh his feet, and ſees the Sun of Righteouſneſs to riſe upon him daily, that he may be juſtifi'd not only from the Acts of ſin, but alſo from the remainders and Reliques of ſin that are in him, Joh. 13.10. And this alſo doth exalt the grace of God the Father juſtifying. When the Apoſtle had had more than ordinary experience of the remainders of corruption in him, and was much afflicted, looking upon himſelf as a miſerable man by reaſon thereof, and judging himſelf worthy to be deſtroy'd for it, and might by reaſon thereof have expected the ſentence of death every moment; now he looks upon the grace of the Goſpel as juſtifying, and he finds a new ſweetneſs in it; there is now no condemnation unto them that are in Chriſt Jeſus, Rom. 8.1. Not only the ſins committed before Converſion, but the ſins remaining after, do juſtly make the ſoul liable to condemnation: but ſuch is the grace that juſtifies us, that there is no condemnation unto them that are in Chriſt Jeſus.

(2) That there may be a continual Conflict kept up in us; our life is a Warfare; and therefore Job 14.14. it is ſaid, all the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come, it is, foreign, all the days, militiae meae, of my warfare, this is not againſt enemies without, againſt ſpiritual wickedneſſes in high places only, but againſt enemies within, in a ſpecial manner, the Fleſh luſting againſt the Spirit, and the Spirit againſt the Fleſh, and by this means the war is maintain'd. The Lord will have the time of this life to be tempus militiae, a time of warfare, and the other life laetitiae, of triumph, as Bernard ſpeaks; this laboris, of labour, that mercedis, of reward; and there is no conflict in the world like unto this, to have two contraries in the ſame place, each of them ſtriving to deſtroy one another; and yet neither of them compleatly and totally prevailing; for they are contrary, Gal. 5.17. and there is a greater oppoſition againſt ſin than there is againſt the Devils themſelves, or any enemies without: there are the ſoreſt battels fought between fleſh and ſpirit in the ſame ſoul, and with greater diſpleaſure and indignation againſt them, than Saints againſt the Devil himſelf; for this is the greateſt evil to them, becauſe it is in them; and becauſe the Lord will have a conflict, that ſo the graces of his People may be both exerciſed, and alſo tryed, and improved; the power of Grace and the truth of it, would never have been ſo gloriouſly ſeen, if there had not been ſuch a principle of corruption drawing it forth daily.

(3) That he may keep his people humble: there is no one thing that the Lord takes more care of, than that the Saints ſhould not be lifted up; it is the end of Affliction to hide pride from their hearts; and of temptations and deſertions in the fleſh, that they might not be lifted up in themſelves, and exalted above meaſure. Now it's true, it's matter p. 434enough to humble one, if duely conſidered, to call to mind what he has been, as it did Paul, I was a perſecutor, and a blaſphemer, and injurious, 1 Tim. 1.13. As ſome of the Heathens, having riſen to be Kings from ſmall beginnings, would keep ſomething ſtill to put them in mind of their Original: as one being a Potters ſon would be ſerved only in Earthen Veſſels all his life-time. The remembrance of what is paſt might humble a man, to ſay, Such were ſome of you, ſuch were ye; but it is much more effectual to humble a man, to conſider, that very iniquity is not fully purged unto this day, but there are ſtill ſome remainders of it upon me, there is ſtill a law in my members that rebells againſt the law of my mind, that when I would do good evil is preſent with me; and this makes me to look upon my ſelf as a wretched and a miſerable man, and makes me to loath and abhor my ſelf, the ſame ſore is running upon me ſtill, I am ſenſible I have the leproſie, and therefore I can take no pleaſure in my ſelf, the Devil comes, and hath ſomething in me; there is a Principle that is prone to cloſe with any temptation, there is a ſea of corruption that doth but wait for a wind, nay if the Devil ſhould never diſquiet it, yet it is a Fountain that will caſt mire out of it ſelf, &c.

(4) That the Saints may be exerciſed in Prayer and Repentance daily. Now it is that which the Lord requires of them every day; Pray without ceaſing, and a man is Nulli rei niſi poenitentiae natus, &c. Now that there may be ſomething that we may ask of him daily to give us, that is, a further degree of Grace, a greater meaſure of purging, and that we may apply the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt for to mortifie ſin in us, as well as to ſatisfie God for ſin, and that there may be always ſomething that we may confeſs, and bewail before God, and repent of, and mourn for, this ſin is ſtill left in us: And look what benefits the people of God do receive from theſe conſtant and daily exerciſes, all theſe do flow from the Sovereignty of God towards them, in leaving of the remainders of ſin in them; and by this means we come to have a part in that great honour which belongs to Chriſt, and that is, foreign, taking away of ſin. It's true Chriſt only doth it by way of ſatisfaction, and he is the only original of our ſanctification; but yet we do it as having our ſpirits alſo acted by the Spirit of Chriſt, and ſo our wills and deſires joyning and concurring with him in that work; therefore we are ſaid, to mortifie the deeds of the body, and to crucifie the fleſh, with the affections and luſts, to purge our ſelves from all filthineſs of fleſh and ſpirit, 2 Cor. 7.1. which we do by his Grace, yet there is a concurrence of ours therein.

(5) That the Patience and forbearance of God even towards the Veſſels of mercy may be ſo much the more exalted; Num. 14.17. Moſes ſays, Let the Power of my Lord be great, according as thou haſt ſpoken, the Lord long-ſuffering and of great mercy; even his forbearance is an act of his power: it is foreign, it is an impotency in a man, that he cannot forbear if he be injured; it is utterly a fault amongſt you; but it is not ſo with God, it is his Power that he can forbear; 'tis the patience of his power, and therefore we are not conſumed, when we daily provoke him, the imagination of a mans heart being continually evil, he is God and not man, Gen. 6.5. Gen. 8.21.Gen 6:5Gen 8:21Hoſ. 11.9. therefore, Gen. 6.5. and 8.21. they do ſeem to croſs each other: in the firſt place 'tis ſaid, the Lord will deſtroy man, becauſe the imaginations of his heart were evil; and in the other, I will not again curſe the ground for mans ſake, for the imaginations of his heart are evil from his youth, it ſeems to be given as a reaſon of two contraries, he will and he will not; every imagination of the heart of man is evil, therefore I will no more curſe the Earth for his ſake; it ſeems ſtrange reaſoning: it is by the Jeſuites and Arminians looked upon as an extenuation of Original ſin, There is now that infirmity come upon him, which was in Adam indeed a ſin, but now it is become a diſeaſe, an infirmity, a condition of Nature, and therefore humanae infirmitatis miſerebor, I will pity humane infirmity, ſo A Lapide and others, who make the being of ſin in us to be no ſin; but there is quite another ſence of the words, the particle foreign is taken either cauſativè or adverſativè, and ſo it is rendred ſometimes quia, becauſe, and ſometimes quamvis, although, Glaſſ. Rhet. pag. 606. Our tranſlators take the firſt, for the imaginations of the heart, or becauſe the imaginations of the heart of man are only evil; and ſo Brentius, Pareus, &c. Si vellem ſemper genus humanum diluvio punire, &c. If I ſhould always bring upon them a flood for their iniquity, I ſhould not leave a man upon the earth, all man-kind would be deſtroy'd, for the imaginations of his heart are evil from his youth; and therefore now having ſmelt a ſavour of reſt from a ſacrifice, I will not for this cauſe deſtroy them any more by a flood: But many of the learned render it adverſativè, and ſo it is although; ſo Exod. 13.17. The Lord led them not thorough the land of the Philiſtins, although that was near: it is foreign Exod. 34.19. Let my Lord I pray thee goe amongſt us, for it is a ſtiffe-necked people; that is, although it be a ſtiffe-necked people; and ſo it is an expreſſion of the wonderfull patience of God, that though men provoke him daily, and all the imaginations of their hearts are evil continually, yet, hoc non obſtante, I will ſhew my patience towards them, and will no more curfe the ground for p. 435mans ſake, &c. and it is ſpoken of all men, not only wicked men, but godly men, for whoſe ſake the Lord doth ſpare the creatures; for it is for the Saints ſake that the world ſtands, and that the earth is not deſtroyed, and yet the imaginations of their hearts are evil from their youth; and by this the patience of God towards the veſſels of mercy as well as towards the veſſels of wrath is very highly exalted.

(6) That the Lord may hereby ſhew how great a grace that donum perſeverantiae, gift of perſeverance is, and what an almighty power doth concur thereunto: Adam had no ſin, and yet he fell from his firſt ſtate; how then ſhall we ſtand, that have in us nothing elſe but ſin? ſomething of the venom of the old Serpent that is ready to open unto him upon every ſuggeſtion, and ready to take fire by every temptation, a ſin that doth eaſily beſet us or compaſs up about? Heb. 12.21. And the great aim of Satan without, and ſin within is to extinguiſh grace, that this ſeed may dye in the man; but it is maintained, and there is an almighty power that does it; therefore 1 Pet. 1.15. We are kept by the mighty power of God through ſaith unto ſalvation; or elſe we ſhould periſh every day; and this exalts the grace of the ſecond Covenant unto the ſouls of the Saints, becauſe there is not only a grace of converſion, but of perſeverance alſo, the Spirit of Chriſt having once taken poſſeſſion of the ſoul, takes poſſeſſion for ever, never to leave it again, if Chriſt hath caſt out the ſtrong man, he will never himſelf be caſt out, till Satan be ſtronger than he, which is never poſſible.

(7) That the ſouls of the Saints may be kept here in a continual longing and a groaning condition for glory; there is nothing ſo great an evil as ſin, and therefore nothing ſhould make the ſoul weary of this life ſo much as ſin, becauſe it cannot end but with our life, and this is one bleſſed fruit of it, Rom. 8.13. We groan for the Adoption; but why do we groan? 2 Cor. 5.24. foreign, there are many burdens that the people of God are under in this life, but there is no burden like unto that of the body of death, that is, foreign a weight indeed, Heb. 12.1. and they groan therefore to put off this tabernacle, becauſe without it there is no putting off this body of ſin, but by being freed from this priſon; we are ſo apt to be in love with this preſent life, that we had need of ſomething that might be bitterneſs to us, and imbitter it to us, ſo that we take not up our reſt here, but that the ſoul may look for, and haſten to the coming of the day of God, and may rejoyce to put off this Tabernacle, be willing that the fleſh ſhould be deſtroyed, that thereby there may be the deſtruction of the body of ſin in us alſo. And thus we ſee the Soveraignty of God working for the Saints in this great ſtate of the being of ſin in the Saints in this life, bringing much good unto them as well as much glory unto himſelf thereby.

§ 3. 2. As the being of ſin comes under the Soveraignty of God, ſo doth the riſing of it in the heart, which doth never break forth into act: it is true, that the heart of man is an evil treaſury, and it is an evil fountain; but though it be always iſſuing, yet it doth not vent it ſelf the ſame way, but ſometimes in this kind, and ſometimes in that,Seneca. in omnibus omnia vitia ſunt, licèt non ſe exerunt, &c. Mar. 7.21, 22, 23. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetouſneſs, wickedneſs, deceit, laſciviouſneſs, an evil eye, blaſphemy, pride, fooliſhneſs; all theſe evil things come from within, and defile the man, &c. for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth ſpeaketh, Mat. 12.34. Now how comes it to paſs, that now one ſin riſeth in the heart, and ſometimes another ſin, when there is an equal propenſion unto all ſin? it riſeth out of the heart, but there is a Soveraignty of God that doth order theſe motions and deſires in the heart, permitting ſuch motions and ſtirrings of heart now which he had not before, Jam. 1.15. Luſt conceiveth and brings forth ſin; there is original ſin the root of corruption, which is called Luſt,Jam. 1.15Jas 1:15 and that is the mother of all ſin, and it is ſaid to conceive, when it is formed into motions, reaſonings, conſultations, and deſires, and conſents; but yet there is many a luſt conceived that never is brought forth into act, and the permitting the riſing as well as of the being of luſt depends upon the Dominion and the Soveraignty of God. As there came into the heart of Eſau ſuch a reſolution, when my father is dead I will ſlay my brother Jacob: ſo there came a motion into the heart of Judas to betray Chriſt, and thereupon he conſulted how to do it with the greateſt advantage, and how to take the fitteſt opportunity to bring it to paſs; ſo a thought came into Davids heart to number the people, Satan ſtirred it up, but God in judgment giving him over, that it ſhould be at this time when God was angry with Iſrael; and Ezech. 38.10. It ſhall come to paſs at the ſame time, that things ſhall come into thy mind, and thou ſhalt think an evil thought; a thought that he did not think before, the time of his deſtruction was near then, ſuch motions ſhall ariſe, as it did in Ahab, Is not Ramoth in Gilead ours, &c? which was the occaſion of his deſtruction. There is a providence even in the riſing of luſts in the hearts of his own people, that this luſt at this ſpecial time, and another luſt at another time, ſhould riſe in them: it is the ſame Soveraignty of God that doth draw forth gracious deſires in the Saints, and doth permit corrupt p. 436deſires in them alſo, God is not the Author, but the orderer of them, and yet even in this alſo the Soveraignty of God is exerciſed for the good of the Saints, and that many ways.

(1) In this, that all luſts break not forth in the ſoul continually: for luſt that is the mother of all ſin, original ſin ſtands equally prepared unto all ſin, at all times; and therefore that all luſts be not ſtirring in the heart together, is from a glorious act of the ſoveraign reſtraint of God, Hoſ. 4.2. By ſwearing and lying and killing and ſtealing and committing adultery they break out, &c. erumpunt: it is taken from waters that have been hid, or from fire ſhut up in an oven or a furnace, Hoſ. 7.6. ſometimes it breaks forth into thoughts in the ſoul, and ſometimes into acts in the life. Now there is a double reſtraint that the Soveraignty of God has over mens acts and over their luſts, and it's a great mercy to have acts of ſin reſtrained, as it was in Abimelech, Gen. 20.6. his luſt was let out, but God reſtrained the act; and it is a greater mercy to have the luſt reſtrained than the act, as the Lord ſaid, They ſhall not deſire thy land. Now the Lord doth reſtrain the Devils acts, but for his luſts he doth let them range; and ſo he doth very far alſo reſtrain the acts of wicked men, when he ſets no bounds unto their luſts: next to being freed from the being of ſin, it's a mercy to be delivered from the riſing of ſin, and in that there is a ſpecial manifeſtation of the Soveraignty of God: for if the riſing of one ſin be ſo troubleſom unto a godly man, that he ſtrives and prays and wreſtles with it, and it is unto him as the thorn in his fleſh, he cannot be quiet in himſelf by reaſon of it; how miſerable and continually unquiet would the heart of a godly man be, if he ſhould have many ſuch ſtrangers and way-faring men come to him (as it was ſaid of the luſt that came into Davids heart?) how ſhould a godly man be able even to ſtand under the burden of them? therefore even this reſtraint of the riſing of ſome luſts is a ſpecial mercy; that Joſephs luſt ſhould not riſe and conceive in him at ſuch a time, and when he had ſuch an opportunity. And it is the greater becauſe I conceive the Spirit of God, by a peculiar work and not a common, doth reſtrain the luſts of the Saints. It's true, that there is reſtraining grace both unto the godly and the wicked, but not both from the ſame principle; but the Spirit having once taken poſſeſſion of a godly man for his own houſe and Temple, he doth never work common works in that man more, as a Spirit aſſiſting barely, but as a Spirit inhabiting.

(2) There is a great deal of mercy in the Lords ordering of the riſing of luſt, when luſt doth not riſe when the object is preſent; there is the object and the opportunity, but the luſt is paſt away, as Ruth lay at Boaz his feet all night, yet no luſt ariſeth towards her: and David had an opportunity of killing Saul; but yet when Saul was in his hand, and he was ſtirred up to it by his ſervants alſo, yet God reſtrained his luſt, it did not riſe in him; which we may ſee by the contrary in other men, as ſoon as the object is offered, the luſt is up in the young man, Prov. 7. he met a harlot, and he went after her ſtraight-ways; and there is a man that no ſooner ſees his neighbours wife, but he doth luſt after her, his luſt riſeth as ſoon as the object is preſented; and ſo it was with Achan, I ſaw, and I coveted, and I took; and ſo it is with many a man, let the leaſt ſhew or provocation be given, and his ſpirit is on fire immediately; but it was not ſo with Abraham, though he was the better man, and had a better right than Lot, yet in the contention, the luſt of pride and paſſion did not ariſe in him: Let there be no ſtrife between me and thee, for we are brethren. A man of underſtanding is of a cool ſpirit, he doth not take fire immediately; that luſt ſhould riſe at one time and not at another, it can be attributed unto nothing but the Soveraignty of God ordering and over-ruling and reſtraining it, &c.

(3) The Lord doth let ſome luſts at this time ariſe, that it may ſhew a man that ſuch a ſin is in his nature, which formerly he haply never conſidered, never particularly repented of, and never ſaw the fruit of it breaking forth in his life. Now to lead a man to a more particular acquaintance with ſin and ſelf, therefore the Lord doth let ſuch luſts riſe up in a mans heart. A man that haply never thought that he could be tempted to be an Atheiſt, and deny that there was a God, the Lord will let forth ſuch ſinful riſings and motions in his heart, that he ſhall be ready to call all into queſtion, and ſee that it is poſſible for the corruption of his nature to make him like that fool, that ſaith in his heart there is no God; and a man that never queſtioned whether the Scripture was the Word of God or no, (for it is the faith that he hath been brought up in, which he received from his parents) yet the Lord will let that luſt riſe in thee, which may bring thee to queſtion the authority of the Scriptures, whether they be of God or no. There is in a man a principle that tends to a denial of the doctrine of godlineſs, and this principle lies deep, and works mightily in our lives; and therefore that they may ſee that this root of bitterneſs is in them, the Lord will ſuffer them to riſe up unto actual thoughts, and then the man will ſay, I thought I ſhould never have doubted whether there was a God or no, or a Heaven or Hell, or a Scripture, but now I ſee to what my natural corruption is ready to lead me, and by this means his ſoul is not only humbled p. 437for thoſe boſom-principles of Atheiſm, but theſe boſom-principles of Religion are laid anew and more firmly in the ſoul, which elſe would not have born the ſtreſs of a work of grace upon them.

(4) That a man may be drawn out to hate ſin the more, therefore the Lord doth let it riſe in a man and infeſt him. As a mans darling luſt that has riſen in him moſt, and moſt troubled him, that ſin when he is converted he hates above all other, Hoſ. 14.8. and ſo Rom. 7. there is not only the being of ſin, but the riſing of it, Rebelling againſt the law of the mind, and leading me captive to the law of ſin and death, when I would do good evil is preſent with me; that the ſoul may ſee its miſery the more, and ſo hate its adverſary the more; for to love God and hate ſin is our great work, and the more the goodneſs of …od is diſcovered unto us, the more we ſhould love him, and the further the evil of ſin is diſcovered unto us, the more our hearts ſhould be ingaged to hate this alſo. It is true, a man ſhould hate ſin in the root, hate it at all times, but ſpecially when it riſes within us, and preſents it ſelf to us with the greateſt enticement; as Chriſt hated Satan always, but then ſpecially when he aſſaulted him with a temptation to worſhip him; ſo ſhould we deal with ſin, as Junius faith of himſelf, he being a modeſt man a wanton woman came to kiſs him, and he gave her a box on the face; he hated impudence at all times, but ſpecially when it was offered him; and ſo it is in this particular alſo, when luſt doth riſe in the ſoul preſenting it ſelf to be choſen, he hates it then moſt, as wicked men hate godlineſs always, but ſpecially when it comes neareſt unto them, and they are preſſed to it, then their hearts riſe againſt it.

(5) The Lord doth in his Soveraignty permit that luſts ſhould ariſe in his people, but it is to awaken them; and the Lord makes this an excellent remedy againſt a ſecure condition; for if his people will ſleep, God has three ordinary ways to awaken them. [1] By letting out corruption. [2] By affliction. [3] By deſertion: it is the firſt of them is the worſt, becauſe there is not a greater evil than ſin, and there is not any thing that doth uſe to affect the hearts of godly men and awaken them more than to find former luſts reviv… in their hearts, which they thought had been dead long ago. A man has formerly ſet himſelf to mortifie ſuch a luſt, and prayed againſt it, and uſed all means, and now he hath through mercy in a good meaſure attained it; but the man grows proud and ſecure, and carnally confident: then the Lord lets his luſt revive again, and the man ſhall ſee that his enemy is not dead, but that the ſaid root of bitterneſs ſtill remains; only the Lord by his Soveraignty permitted it to ſpring forth for ſuch an end.

(6) It is that which is matter of repentance to the people of God continually; they are not humbled barely for the ſins of their lives that break forth in their converſation in the world, but alſo thoſe ſins that do ariſe in their hearts, and they do apply the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt for the one, as well as the other; and they are more humbled for luſt riſing in their heart (if they could be ſeparated) than for luſt breaking forth in the act, becauſe this defiles the inward man, the ſoul; and ſo it's ſaid of Hezekiah, That he humbled himſelf for the pride of his heart; ſo confidence in creatures is what we ought to be humbled for, and weep in ſecret for our pride, and repent of all the inward riſings of ſin in our heart, though not any diſcovery of it be made in our lives and converſation.

§. 4. 3. The Soveraignty of God is ſeen in the actings of ſin alſo, and therein it doth order all for the good of his people; ſin ſhall not be always kept within bounds as fire in the boſom, but it ſhall appear in the life many times, and the members ſhall become weapons of unrighteouſneſs; luſt conceived ſhall bring forth ſin; as there are many thouſand luſts ſtirring in the heart, that do never come into act, they are conceived, but do never bring forth; there is much plotting in the world againſt godlineſs, but they do bring forth the wind; Eſau ſays, I will ſlay my brother Jacob, but he never did it; and G…hazi had in his heart a hankering after Vineyards and Olive-yards, &c. and ſo they in Neh. 4.11. We will come upon them and deſtroy them, and they ſhall neither ſee nor know, &c. But the act doth not ſucceed accordingly, there are many devices in the hearts of the crafty when their hands cannot perform their enterpriſe, Job 5.12. and ſo the Lord doth with ſin in the ſouls of his people, but yet ſometimes it ſhall break forth into act, it was as new wine in the ſoul, and the act ſhall give it vent, it was ſecret, but the Lord by an act will permit it to be viſible and legible; when it was in the ſoul it is but thirſt in the deſire, but it is drunkenneſs in the act, when it is come to the full: and all this doth the Lord permit by a ſupreme providence for the good of his people.

(1) That they may ſee the power of ſin and the tendency thereof; it is ſuch a filthineſs as would overſpread the whole man, it is a leproſie in the whole man, therefore it is called the old man, and when we ſin we are carnal and walk as men:1 Cor. 3.3.1 Cor 3:3 now the whole man is not defiled with it in the riſing of ſin, it is kept within bounds till it overflow into the members; p. 438alſo the inward man is defiled, but ſin will come upon the outward man alſo, and there is in the members in reference unto the act of ſin, [1] A fitneſs to be imployed in it, Rom. 6.13. Weapons of unrighteouſneſs; the members have diſtinct forms according to the imployment for which they were created, there is a fitneſs in the foot to walk, and in the hand to work; ſo there is a different fitneſs anſwerable unto the ſeveral acts of ſin that the ſoul can put them upon or imploy them in, and they are weapons, there is a fitneſs in them to be uſed and imployed in the ſervice of ſin: it's ſaid of David, Pſal. 45.1. My tongue is the pen of a ready writer; it is fit to be imployed in the works of grace; ſo becauſe Doegs tongue did cut like a ſharp raſor, he is fit to accuſe others, and to wound them in their good name. [2] There is alſo a readineſs as well as a fitneſs; fitneſs may be paſſive, but a readineſs is active: You have given your members weapons of unrighteouſneſs, Rom. 6.13, 14.Acts 13.10.Acts 13:10 and therefore Acts 13.10. Full of all miſchief, foreign, ad peccandum facilitas, & ad quodvis ſcelus propenſio, ſo Beza, their feet are ſwift to ſhed blood, whereas there is a deadneſs and a backwardneſs unto every thing elſe that is good, there is a wearineſs, their feet are not ready to walk, nor their hands to work, &c. [3] There is alſo a greedineſs and an unweariedneſs; the one in the ſoul, and the other in the members, Deut. 29.19. it is a drunkenneſs, and they are for taking of their fill of drink, as if they could never have enough; to morrow ſhall be as this day, and much more abundant; and ſo in a luſt of the fleſh how unſatiable is it? and in the luſt of the eye, the eye is never ſatisfied with ſeeing, though preſently weary unto any thing that is good; and there is no ſuch greedineſs towards it, but towards ſin it is ſo; and in this doth ſin in the body lye. Now that it may appear what an overſpreading evil is in ſin, and that the Saints may know in themſelves the power of it in the breaking forth, therefore the Lord doth give them up to acts of ſin.

(2) That a Saint may ſee that if he be deſerted of God, he ſhall be drawn into ſin in all the kinds and degrees of it; I cannot, ſaith he, reſiſt the riſing of it, and if the Lord leave me, I ſhall not be able in the leaſt to reſiſt the actings of it: according unto the meaſure of a mans deſertion, ſuch is the degree of his ſin, that we may ſee how great an evil, and how dangerous a thing it is to be deſerted by the Lord in any degree, in any meaſure of it. Damaſcene in his Orthodox. Fidei cap. 29. mentions three ſorts of deſertions. [1] Temporary, for tryal, ſuch was that of Job, which was a deſertion only for a preſent diſpenſation, that thereby the Lord might ſhew forth and draw out the grace of Job, which elſe had not been ſo clearly ſeen. [2] foreign, caſtigatory, which is for correction of ſome former neglect, and to teach the people of God to keep cloſer unto him, and to fear his departure more than formerly. [3] Vindictive, and that's a final deſertion, and ſo he doth never forſake his own people; the Lord left Hezekiah, that he might ſee what was in his heart, and ſo he doth the Saints, that they may ſee if they are left to themſelves what they are, and what a terrible thing it is to be deſerted of God, and what a fearful creature the beſt men would quickly appear to be then. Elias Cretenſ. made four ſorts. [1] Explorationis, to try their graces, as we ſee in Job. [2] Correctionis, as in David, and Solomon, and Samſon. [3] Rejectionis, and ſo the Lord deſerted the Jews, and ſo he doth wicked men. [4] Satisfactionis, and ſo he did deſert the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; but there was a ſatisfaction of Juſtice in that deſertion, for it was the payment of a debt.

(3) That they may ſee how weak all means are, if ſin in the power of it be ſo ſet againſt them, that they cannot keep it in, but it will break out, and that unto the higheſt degree; men would think that reaſon, and fear, and ſhame would ſuppreſs it, and indeed by theſe the Lord doth many times reſtrain ſin, as they did the Jews, they would have taken hold of John, but they feared the people; but now let but the Lord withdraw his hand, and all means and arguments and reaſonings will not prevail at all with them, they are like unto the wild Aſs in the wilderneſs, and as the ſwift Dromedary, there is no reſtraint, nothing will be withheld from them of any thing that they have a mind to do, they run into it as the horſe into the battel, Jer. 8.6. ſo Chriſt ſays of Judas, it had been good for that man that he had not been born; but there is a prevailing injunction, he goes on to act, nothing can ſtay him.

(4) That the pople of God may fear to be delivered up unto the power of Satan. There is a kind of ſpiritual Excommunication which the Lord doth exerciſe towards men many times: What thou doſt, do quickly, and Satan entred into Judas; there is a reſtraint upon the Devil, that he cannot always carry men to acts of ſin, the Devil is bound; wicked men ſhall have the ſame perſecuting hearts, but they ſhall not be able to draw forth thoſe luſts into act, Rev. 20.8. but Satan ſhall be let looſe, and will hurry men to acts of ſin with violence, he tempted David to number the people, 1 Chron. 21.1. and God was angry with him, and Satan ſtirred him up, and it was in vain for Joab to ſpeak to him, and ſhew him his folly, he was ſet upon it, and it muſt be done, the Kings word prevailed: and ſo it p. 439is ſtill with many of the children of God, Satan will carry men on unto horrid actions, and they ſhall act with violence.

(5) That godly men may exerciſe repentance of all kinds: the object of repentance is all ſin, not only this or that ſin, but all ſin, original ſin, actual ſin, ſins in the heart,That the body may be afflicted by faſting and prayer, &c. and being famula in culpa, it may be ſocia in poenitentia. and ſins in the life, ſins of commiſſion, and ſins of omiſſion; as God will have our faith take in all the objects of faith, and be exerciſed about them all, ſo ſhould our repent…e take in all the object of repentance; and the Lord makes us ſenſible of our proneneſs to all ſorts and all ways of ſin, that as patience, ſo repentance may have its perfect work; for as to humble the ſoul ſin is left in it, ſo alſo the breaking forth of ſin into act diſcovers our natural weakneſs, and is in wiſdom permitted, becauſe the Lord will have his people to perfect their repentance as well as their faith while they do live here.

(6) That the ſoul may be willing to put off the body, as it is an inſtrument and a ſervant to the ſoul in ſinning; I am ſhortly, ſaith the ſoul, to put off this tabernacle, and I am the more willing to do it, becauſe my members are weapons of unrighteouſneſs, I ſhall then never ſin more, no more be ſubject unto the bondage of corruption to ſerve the luſts of men; it ſhall be the glory of the body to ſerve the graces, but never the luſts of the ſoul any more, but perfect ſanctification ſhall be in it.

4. The Soveraignty of God is ſeen in the breaking forth of ſcandalous ſins: there are but two ſorts of ſins that godly men are freed from, the ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt, and final impenitency, becauſe they are delivered from the wrath to come, and being in Chriſt Jeſus, there is no condemnation unto them, Rom. 8.1. but elſe there is no ſin either in judgment or practice, from the danger of which they can aſſure their hearts, be it never ſo foul, never ſo hateful before God or man; and therefore when we look upon the naufragia, ſhipwracks of the Saints, who can, if God ſhould withdraw his ſuitable aſſiſtance, ſecure themſelves, or promiſe unto themſelves freedom? If we conſider the idolatry of Solomon, and that as groſs as any that we ſhall read of, 1 King. 11.4, 8. and the perſecution of Aſa, 2 Chron. 16.10. and the Apoſtaſie in Peter, and that the groſſeſt with a denial, nay an abjuration, Mar. 14.71. foreign, which ſome do expound to abjure Chriſt, Mar. 14.71.Mark 14:71and to wiſh unto him a curſe, but moſt do ſay it was wiſhing a curſe and an Anathema upon himſelf. Grotius makes it the ſame with that, Act. 23.14. They bound themſelves with a curſe, diris ſe obligavit, &c. of whom Bernard ſaith, Peccavit grande peccatum, & fortaſſis quo grandius nullum eſt, &c. Now ſeeing that there is in them a ſea of corruption, a body of death, it is only an act of the Soveraignty of God that reſtrains the winds that they blow not upon this ſea, Rev. 7.1. There are Angels that hold the winds of commotions that they break not forth, and Jer. 49.36. Dan. 7.2, 3. that they ſhall break forth in their ſeaſon; ſo he doth alſo hold the winds of temptation, that they do not blow upon the ſea of corruption; and by this means the mire and dirt is not diſcovered; but let but the wind blow upon it, and it is full of unquietneſs and rage immediately: 2 Sam. 12.4. there came a way-faring man unto the rich man, concupiſcentiam viatorem vocat aut peregrinum, Pet. Martyr. [1] It is not a friend, or a ſervant, it is not one that is ordinarily accuſtomed to the houſe; there are ſome ſins that are daily in a man, conſtant inmates, but there are great ſins that da riſe in a man but now and then. [2] Luſts are travellers foreign, the heart of man doth coaſt and wander all the world over to ſee what will become of it, and where it may be able to make advantage unto it ſelf. [3] It comes upon a man ſuddenly and unexpectedly as a ſtranger, or as a traveller uſeth to do. [4] Yet when it comes it looks for entertainment, and it doth ſo ordinarily find it, the man will make proviſion for it. Now this traveller goes not where or when he pleaſes, but according to the Soveraignty of God, in the ordering the going forth of the luſts of men, it is a meſſenger of Satan, there is a time appointed for the opening of Hell, for the ſending forth the meſſenger of Satan upon the ſoul, the letting forth of the ſmoke, Rev. 9.1.

The Lord doth in his Providence turn this unto good, (1) Unto a new converſion, Luk. Luk. 22.32.Luke 22:3222.32. Chriſt ſaid to Peter after his firſt converſion, when he foretels him of his ſcandalous fall, When thou art converted ſtrengthen thy brethren: there is a double converſion, 1. From a ſtate of ſin, Acts 3.19. 2. From ſome particular groſs acts of ſin, becauſe that doth make a breach upon a mans juſtification: [1] A damp upon grace, which there is upon the committing of ſuch ſins: Create in me, ſays David, a clean heart, and renew a right ſpirit in me. [2] There is a ſuſpenſion of all the comforts of grace; he is as the leper, and he doth, as Zanchy ſaith, quodammodo excidere à gratia, he hath no comforts in the promiſes and the priviledges of the Saints. [3] There is a change of all the dealings of God with him, Eſa. 63.10. he became their enemy, and fought againſt them by ſpiritual judgments upon them, verſ. 17. he ſhall have broken bones, and his moiſture ſhall be dryed up, Gods wrath ſhall fall upon him; for there is a temporal wrath, there is filius ſub ira, &c. Now p. 440here ſeems to be a particular Converſion by laying of all anew in the Soul, as if nothing were true before, he muſt repent anew, and believe anew; that as Zach. 1.17. the Lord's returning unto a people after eminent diſpleaſure, is called a new Election, ſo alſo this is a new Converſion.

(2) Hereby the Soul hath experience in himſelf of the ſtrength of Sin, the power of Temptation, and of Chriſts Interceſſion: [1] He has experience of the Strength of ſin; for ſin is but too powerfull in the beſt: Gen. 49.6, 7. it is ſaid of the Sons of Iſrael, Simeon and Levi, Curſed be their anger for it was fierce, and their wrath for it was cruel; and David put the Ammonites under Saws and Harrowes; and Jonah, 4.9. he juſtifies himſelf againſt the debates of God with him, and ſaith, that he doth well to be angry unto the death. [2] The Soul experiences the power of Temptation, what there is in the winnowings of Satan; if the Lord ſhould leave a man to the power which he hath already received, he would ſoon work all good out of his ſoul; for Satan is the ruler of the Darkneſs of this world, Epheſ. 6.12. and he hath not only a great power over wicked men as Darkneſs it ſelf, for they are led captive at his will, and he doth work effectually in them, but even upon the darkneſs that is in the Saints alſo; he can ſtirr up that darkneſs in them, that it ſhall endanger to over-ſpread all, that there ſhall ſeem little difference between them and ungodly men, for the time that it doth prevail upon them. [3] The Soul experiences the power of the Prayer of Chriſt, Luk. 22.32. I have prayed for thee, that thy Faith fail not; how comes it to paſs, that it doth not excutere? It is not ſo much from a Principle of Grace within, for that is in its own nature defective, but by vertue of the Covenant and the Prayer of Chriſt without; and it is this Prayer that doth uphold all the Grace that is in us, or elſe it would foreign, deficere, &c. This Interceſſion doth not only preſent their Duties, but it preſerves their Graces alſo, the one would be rejected and the other extinguiſhed, were it not for this. The Saints have a double Advocate, as the word foreign ſignifies, the Spirit of Prayer as an Advocate within us, which as a witneſs doth many times fail us, and we by our own ſins loſe the benefit and the comfort of it; but then we are to have recourſe unto the Advocate without us, as the Soul is ſometimes to make uſe of the witneſs of Blood, when he cannot ſee the witneſs of Water.

(3) It brings a man unto the great duty of Confeſſion, to become publick examples of Repentance, which hath been a great honour unto the Saints, who have riſen out of their falls; and we cannot ſay that the records of their falls have been ſo diſhonourable unto them, as their publick Repentance and abaſement before God has been honourable; with this the Lord honour'd David, and his Repentance ſtands upon Record, Pſal. 51. and with this alſo he honour'd Solomon, which is Recorded in the Book of Eccleſiaſtes, which is therefore entituled Coheleth, which Cocceius obſerves to note receptionem ſuam ad eccleſiam per poenitentiam, his reception into the Church by Repentance, and is as much as foreign, a man gathered unto the Congregation of the Lord; and ſo did Paul, Act. 22.4. I perſecuted this way, and I was mad againſt them; and ſo doth Luther, he left it upon record, tantus eram ſanctus, ut paratiſſimus fueram unumquemque occidere, &c. and this Tertull. de poeniten. chap. 9. obſerves to be in uſe in his time, .......... Presbyteris advolvi, charis Dei adgeniculari, as the example of Eccetalicus, &c. Thus as they were eminent examples in ſinning, ſo they were deſirous to be of Repentance.

(4) Hereby they are no more confident of their own ſtrength, and ſo exalt not themſelves above their Brethren; ſo Chriſt ask'd Peter, Now loveſt thou me more than theſe? Joh. 21.15. he was before for making compariſons with all other men, though all men ſhould forſake thee, yet not I; but now here is no Compariſon: and if there be any ſtrength in that, Chriſt ask'd by foreign, and he anſwers foreign, which is a leſs degree of Love; it was good advice to him: But he ſaid well, Hîc quaerendae non ſunt ſubtilitates, the words are commonly in the Goſpel promiſcuouſly uſed; and it is a ſignal inſtance of Gods power to bring good out of evil, when a man by reflecting upon ſome great ſin that he hath committed, can ſay, that his carnal confidence in himſelf and his own ſtrength, is healed thereby.

(5) This makes a Saint to walk in fear ever after; and bleſſed is the man that fears always; a fearleſs ſpirit doth bring ſin: [1] A godly man fears ſin as the only Evil, fears an Oath, and he doth ſay with Chryſoſtome, foreign, this only is matter of fear; but ſpecially when he has had experience of the breaking forth of it eminently, a man fears a diſeaſe that he hath felt; and ſo David will not truſt his tongue without a bridle, and his Eyes without a Prayer; turn away my Eyes from beholding vanity; and thereby the bank is made up againſt that ſin all their dayes; and it may be a ſin that a man feared leaſt, ſhall get the greateſt hand upon him, if temptation get the wind and the hill of him. [2] He fears leſt the Lord may therefore leave a note of diſhonour p. 441upon him; Revel. 7.6, 7. when the Tribes were ſealed, Dan was left out,Rev. 7.6, 7.Rev 7:6Rev 7:7 and ſo is Ephraim, tanquam foreign anteſignani, Mic. 1.13. this Tribe was the beginning of the ſin to the daughter of Sion; they of Dan did it; for the tranſgreſſions of Iſrael were found in thee; it was a ſcandalous ſin: the Lord may leave a note of ſin upon a man, and his poſterity afterwards for it, and he may not be honoured as the reſt of his Brethren, but may have a brand ſtick upon him for committing folly in Iſrael, &c.

(6) That a man may be fitted for ſervice by it; Luk. 22.32. Chriſt ſays, when thou art converted, ſtrengthen thy brethren; a mans own comfort doth fit a man to comfort others, 2 Pet. 2.2. and ſo do a mans own falls alſo, 2 Cor. 1.4. who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble: [1] By the Experience of the power of ſin, he may be the better able to admoniſh others, 2 Pet. 2.2. they denyed the Lord that bought them; and he can beſt ſpeak of the danger of ſuch a way himſelf, that hath found it, and had experience of it in himſelf. Auſtin having been himſelf a Manichee, when he diſputed with Felix the great Manichee, he could ſhew him the vanity of it by experience, and ſo fruſtrata vanitate & errore illius ſectae ad noſtram fidem converſus eſt, &c. Poſſidon. in vita Auguſt. [2] He will be able to comfort others againſt the guilt of that ſin; having himſelf ſound favour, he can ſhew others the way unto it; and ſo could Peter, having found mercy himſelf; and David, for this ſhall every one that is godly pray unto thee; and ſo Luther did publiſh unto all the way of Mercy that God had vouchſafed him, that all men might ſee that mercy is to be had for them; Peter velociſſimè veniam conſecutus, &c.Bern.

(7) That it may be unto a man matter of Humiliation all his days; ſins before Converſion be grievous, as they were to Paul, I was a Perſecutor, and a Blaſphemer, 1 Tim. 1.13. and ſuch were ſome of you, but now you are waſhed: A man ſhould not ſo look upon what he is, but he ſhould alſo look back what he was, Behold thou art made whole; remember that thou waſt a ſick man; and the keeping it in view, will be uſefull unto a man all his dayes, to make him exalt mercy, and to cauſe him to abhor himſelf: So Auſtin, after he had made his Confeſſion, he ſaith, Spes mihi valida eſt in illo qui ſedet ad dextram tuam, & interpellat pro nobis, alioquin deſperarem; magni enim & multi ſunt languores animae meae, magni & multi, ſed major eſt medicina tua & amplior. And ſo a man doth exalt Grace, and by this means abaſe himſelf all his days; Oh, I was a Blaſphemer, I was an Adulterer, a Perſecutor, and yet I have obtained mercy, God hath ſhewed in me a pattern of Patience! Oh that ever ſuch a one ſhould find mercy and favour with him, that he ſhould take me into his boſome!

(8) It puts a man upon the greater Mortification of ſin, he doth with the greater hatred abhorr all evil; ye that fear the Lord, hate evil; Dolor dolore tollitur, venen… venenis diſpe…luntur. Aug.now hatred will be contented with nothing but deſtruction, the more the Enemy doth ariſe, the more doth a mans hatred ariſe, Gratia vexata, ſeipſam prodit; a man ſhall ſay, What have I to doe any more with Idols? to the Moles and to the Batts; David hates that ſin that had ſo defiled him, and this ſets him againſt the whole body of ſin; I was ſhapen in iniquity, and now he looks for the Root,Pſal. 51.Ps 51 and he doth hate ſin in the Fountain of it. And as it is in a ſin in Practice, ſo it is in an errour in Judgement, he will not only be watchfull againſt it, but he will alſo hate it the more. There was not ſuch an enemy againſt the Manichees in the world as Auſtin was, becauſe he had been himſelf deluded with it; as when he was to diſpute with Fortunatus, Secum in eodem errore conſtitutum congredi putabat: And ſo Luther that of Popery, Brevi efficiam, &c. and ſo he doth anſwer himſelf, Vincet mea audacia in Chriſto; and Paul with more Zeal did preach that Faith which before he deſtroyed; and thereby the Saints glorifi'd God for him, Gal. 1. ult. it makes a man zealous to honour God in that thing, wherein he had ſo highly diſhonour'd him.

(9) It makes a man tender towards others, Gal. 6.1. he will put on a ſpirit of Meekneſs to others, becauſe he hath found the mercy of God to his own Soul, and therefore he deſpairs of nothing, that they may alſo through your mercy attain mercy, Rom. 11.31. there being the ſame mercy ſhewed unto them that was ſhewed unto us, and they are as capable of the ſame mercy as we were; Chriſt ſhewed tenderneſs unto Peter, and he appeared unto him one of the firſt after his Reſurrection, and he did comfort him even againſt his fall, ſhewed him great favour; and ſurely ſo will the ſoul be ready to comfort others alſo; he that hath received mercy, will put on bowels of mercy; who is offended, and I burn not? no man is put off, no man encouraged in his ſin; the pride of a mans heart is as well broken with Mercies as it is with Croſſes, and Afflictions; and the Lord doth hide pride from the heart in them both; that a man that doth put his mouth in the duſt when God is pacify'd, will be as low as the duſt towards another in the ſame Offence with himſelf; this I have had experience of, and yet received unto mercy; and it becomes me to put on the ſame bowels to others.

p. 442(10) Providence orders it for the conſolation of the people of God, and it is a mighty argument of faith: as if when God gives his Son, he will give all things; ſo if God do bring good out of ſin, all ſhall work together for good. Sin is the greateſt evil, greater than Hell, the one God is the Author of, but not of the other, the one is againſt an uncreated good, the glory of God, the other is but againſt the good of the creature; and yet even this ſhall be for good, and ſo a man may ſay with Gregory of Adams ſin, foelix culpa, but not talem meruit Redemptorem.

§. 5. 2. Not only a mans own ſins, but other mens ſins are turned unto the good of the Saints alſo; the providence of God doth ſo order all things, that they have a benefit by them, and that both by wicked and godly mens ſins; and in the ſins of wicked men it is true what Auſtin ſaith, That God had never ſuffered ſin to come into the world, if it had been ſuch an evil as he could have brought no good out of it: Bonitas tua novit malis noſtris bene uti, Anſelm. Non ſolùm mala paſſiva quae nobis irrogantur in bonum cedunt, ſed etiam activa quae nos ipſi facimus, Luther. Collaudandus eſt benigniſſimus & omnipotens Deus, qui malis noſtris non ſolùm non vincitur, ſed ex iis operatur noſtrum bonum, Gerſon. Omnipotens Deus cùm ſummè bonus ſit, nullo modo ſineret aliquid mali eſſe in operibus ſuis, niſi adeò eſſet omnipotens & bonus, ut benefaceret etiam de malo; illorum nequitia eſt malè uti bonis operibus ejus, ſic illius ſapientia eſt bene uti malis eorum operibus, Auguſt. And as all the ſins of ungodly men ſhall turn to the glory of God, ſo they ſhall all of them be for the good of his people, they ſhall be gainers by all the wickedneſs that is done in the world, as the Lord will work his glory out of all. Though the Lord forbid ſin, and hate it, and thereby appears not to be the Author of it; ſo the Saints do hate ſin and mourn for it, that thereby it may appear, that they are not partakers in it; and yet for all this, God doth work his glory, and the good of the Saints out of all the wickedneſs and all the confuſions that are in the world; and next to the pardon of ſin, this is the great priviledge of the ſecond Covenant, that their own and other mens ſins do work together for their good, thoſe things that they do mourn for and pray againſt, &c. And this I will manifeſt (1) in general, and then (2) in ſome of the particulars thereof, becauſe it is maximum divinae providentiae argumentum, Clem. Alex.

1. In general, how doth God make the ſins of wicked men to conduce unto the good of the Saints? This will appear in theſe particulars.

(1) Hereby they may always read what they were, as in the example of the Saints, they may always read what they ought to be; the one is ſet before them as a pattern as well as the other, Tit. 3.3. We our ſelves were ſometime diſobedient, fooliſh, deceived, ſerving divers luſts and pleaſures, living in malice and envy; and it is good for the Saints to be mindful thereof what they have been, ſic fuimus olim; I was once, ſaith Luther, Monachus miſerrimus: look to the rock whence thou wert hewn: Paul kept the condition of his unregeneracy always in his mind. It is true, God forgets our ſins, but we ſhould not; ſee the wickedneſs that is in the lives of other men, and read thine own in it, as Auſtin did in a child, vidi puerulum, &c. and thence he doth conclude it was ſo with him, quando minimus fui.

(2) By this they ſee what they are delivered from; might not I have been ſuch a one? 1 Cor. 6.11. Such were ſome of you, but now you are waſhed, you are ſanctified, you are juſtified; and by this the grace of God is exalted in their hearts ſo much the more, which might have ſuffered them for ever to have walked in the errour of the wicked, and to have gone in the ſame way with them: Pſal. 69.27. Add iniquity unto their iniquity; that is, as the Saints go from one degree of grace to another, they go from glory to glory, from ſtrength to ſtrength; ſo let theſe go from one ſin to another, God lets them do it till they have filled up their meaſure, and then lets go judgment after it upon them, by giving them over unto it, that ſo they may fill up their meaſure; for there is a meaſure of ſin as well as of grace, Joel 3.13. Put in thy ſickle and reap, for the harveſt is ripe, the preſs is full; there is a meaſure of iniquity, and then they do come up in remembrance before God; the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. A diſmal judgment it is, that a man ſhould live for no other end, but to fill up iniquity.

(3) Hereby the Saints are daily admoniſhed what they are in their own nature, if the Lord leave the beſt men to themſelves, and kept it not under the reſtraint of grace, 2 Tim. 2.19. they ſeeing others Apoſtaſie fear themſelves; and Chriſt ſpeaking of him that was to betray him, all the Diſciples began to fear leſt it ſhould be themſelves; this ſin is in my nature, ſay they, and therefore it is meer mercy that I am not ſo wicked as Cain and Judas, I am as like to commit it as they, if the Lord ſhould leave me to my ſelf; that gratia ſubſequens, the Rock that followed them preſerves his people from the ſin that is in their natures, and they reflect upon that when they ſee others fall into ſin, conſidering themſelves, leſt they alſo be tempted, Gal. 6.1.

(4) Hereby they are minded of the ends that ſin brings men to, that they may fear p. 443them. As the ends of godly men are to be obſerved, whoſe faith follow; knowing the end of their converſation; ſo we are called upon in Scripture to conſider the ends of the wicked, Prov. 23.21. Drunkenneſs will cloath a man with rags, who hath redneſs of eyes and wounds without cauſe? Prov. 6.26. By the means of a whoriſh woman a man is brought to a morſel of bread, and a dart ſtriking through his liver, and he gets a wound and diſhonour that ſhall never be wiped off; Prov. 21.16. The man that wandereth out of the way of underſtanding ſhall remain in the congregation of the dead, foreign, in coetu gigantum, in the congregation of the Giants: they being the firſt ſort of ſinners that ever went into Hell, and ſo did give the firſt denomination unto the place of the damned.

(5) By this the Saints are put upon many duties towards them which will abound unto their account; and [1] to pity their ſouls, and to wait for them with patience, Tit. 3.2, 3. Shewing all meekneſs towards all men, for we our ſelves were ſuch; Rom. 11.31. ſays the Apoſtle, That through your mercy they alſo may obtain mercy. [2] Deſpair not of them; becauſe the Lord ſhewed mercy to you, therefore wait if at any time God will give them repentance, 1 Tim. 1.16. He ſhewed in me a pattern to them that ſhould hereafter believe in him, &c. we have in our ſelves an inſtance. [3] We are to undervalue the perſons of theſ… men how great ſoever, Prov. 29.27. The wicked is an abomination to the juſt, Pſal. 15.4. Dan. Dan. 4.17.Dan 4:174.17. they are the baſeſt of men, be they never ſo great. [4] As the people of God fear the ends of the wicked, ſo they hate their ways: He walks not in the counſel of the ungodly, Pſal. 1.1.Ps 1:1he ſtands not in the way of ſinners; when ſinners entice him he conſents not; Gen. 49.6. My ſoul come not thou into their ſecrets, unto their aſſembly, my honour, be not thou united: Pſal. 141.4.Ps 141:4let me not eat of their dainties; and alſo Pſal. 26.9. Gather not my ſoul with ſinners, nor my life with bloody men: there is a bundle of the living, there is a being gathered unto ones fathers and people: wicked men are ſo, and godly men are ſo, they both have their people; let me not be gathered with them that are ungodly, O Lord.

2. Now more particularly, the Saints are by Providence gainers by the plots of wicked men, and their counſels, by their attempts againſt them, and by their executions, and in all theſe the ſecret providence of God over them is manifeſted. Firſt by their plots and counſels; a great part of the evil of wicked men lies in their plots, devices, and machinations, Pſal. 35.20. They deviſe deceitful matters againſt them that are quiet in the land; they never know what they are doing or meditating on, their thoughts are a continual forge of evil, the Devils anvil, always at work againſt the people of God, Jer. 18.18.Jer. 18.18.Jer 18:18 Let us deviſe devices againſt Jeremiah; it is foreign which ſignifies a cunning plot, and a curious work, &c. and the Saints fear their plots commonly more than their power, as they fear the Devil more as a Serpent than as a Lyon, and yet by their plots they travail with miſchief, deviſe evil continually, Prov. 6.14. and it is foreign which ſignifies fodit, he hath a Mine within,Prov. 6.14.Prov 6:14 and is always digging out miſchief; as a godly man hath a fountain that is always iſſuing good: there is a good treaſure and an evil treaſure, and the Holy Ghoſt ſpeaks much of the plottings of wicked men againſt the Saints, which never come unto any thing, they weave a ſpiders web, which never becomes a garment; and by theſe plots the Saints are gainers. (1) They ſee the Lord reſtraining their very plots, that they do not always riſe; none of them ſhall deſire thy land; they ſhall not ſee their own advantages; and they ſhall grope at noon day, Job 5.14. it is ſpoken of their counſels, he diſappoints the counſels of the crafty, and that is by ſnarling their thoughts, confounding their plots, that they do not ſee their own way; they want no will to effect their miſchievous devices, but yet they cannot tell what way to take againſt the people of God; therein the Lord is ſeen. (2) He clogs them, their hands cannot perform their enterpriſe, they cannot bring their wicked devices to paſs always, when they ſhould come to execution; when the children are come unto the birth, there is no ſtrength to bring them forth, for the Lord doth blow upon them, and they wither as the graſs upon the houſe top, and they bear no fruit. (3) They end in their own deſtruction, Eſa. 59.5. They hatch cockatrice eggs, and weave the ſpiders web, &c. a ſerpent, a viper eats out the bowels of the mother, they themſelves are ſtung with them unto death, they are taken in their own craft; the wicked is inſnared in the work of his own hand, &c. (4) The Lord doth time the plot, that it ſhall be at ſuch a time, when it is to accompliſh his purpoſe, and that it ſhall be for the good of the Saints: My hour is not yet come, ſays Chriſt, Rev. 9.14. Looſe the four Angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates, which were prepared for an hour, for a day, and a month, and a year, to ſlay the third part of men; they had deſigned it, but it reſted a great while, and now it is revived again; and ſo they plotted againſt Daniel when God did intend to exalt him; and ſo that of Gog, Thou ſhalt think an evil thing, &c. (5) The Saints are the more driven unto God by prayer, Lord, turn the wiſdom of Achitophel into folly; and they have the more need of the counſel of Jeſus, to be wiſe as ſerpents, and they have the more experience of their intereſt in the wiſdom p. 444of God, which is made over unto them, who in the things wherein the wicked deal ſubtilly will out-wit them.

There are two ways by which the enemy hath always ſet himſelf againſt the people of God: (1) In a way of policy; For the children of this world are in their generation wiſer than the children of light. (2) In a way of power; they will be firſt as a Fox, and then as a Lyon, as the Pope ſaid, If Peters Keys will not do it, give me Pauls Sword: the ſame ſpirit there is in all wicked men, their aim is to deſtroy the Saints, but they are not willing to appear in it, if it may be hid. Neh. 4.11. the adverſaries ſaid, They ſhall not know nor ſee, till we come upon them in the middle of them, and ſlay them, and cauſe the work to ceaſe. They would fain accompliſh their ends, and effect their cruelty by a plot, that they ſhould never know who hurt them, that's their deſign. As the Devil, he will never appear as he is, if putting upon himſelf the form of an Angel of light will do it; ſo it is with the enemies unto the Church, Jeroboam robs the people of their Religion, but it was under a great ſhew of eaſe to them; and for their worſhip at Jeruſalem it was but a form, they ſhould have as good worſhip elſewhere, and as holy as there, and it was much more for their eaſe than to be in this manner ſcattered from their dwellings; and Julian raiſed againſt the Church the bittereſt Perſecution, but it was under the ſhew of a toleration, let every man injoy the liberty of his own conſcience, he would have no man forced in his Religion, and he doth encourage the Jews to build their Temple again, and he doth himſelf favour the Gentiles in their worſhip, and yet he can bear with the Chriſtians alſo; ſo the Donatiſts in Auſtins time, (1) They did deny any to be a true Church but themſelves: (2) There ſhould be no compelling of men to live holy, coacta & invita pietas: (3) That the Magiſtrate is not to puniſh or reſtrain Hereticks and falſe Teachers in matters of Religion, every man ſhould be leſt to his liberty. (4) They did rebaptize men into their Church: But this plot being laid, facti inſolentes, vim orthodoxis inferebant: inſomuch that the Emperour Honorius was forced to ſend Dulcitius the Tribune with an Army into Africa to reſtrain their rage againſt the Orthodox Chriſtians, whom they would ſuffer to live in peace no longer than till they had got power in their hands,Danaeus de haereſibus, cap. 69. and then they would not yield unto them that liberty which before they pleaded for themſelves.

And here I would obſerve from the Scripture, (1) How wiſdom and carnal policy is looked upon by God, and what reſpect he hath unto it: (2) Yet how all this wiſdom, in the exerciſe and the putting forth of it in plots and devices, is by the providence of God turned unto the good of his people.

1. What reſpect God hath to the wiſdom of the fleſh, though never ſo deep, never ſo profound. 1. He ſaith, That the wiſdom of the fleſh is vanity and folly; the Lord knows the wiſdom of the fleſh to be but vain, for it is fooliſhneſs with him, 1 Cor. 3.19, 20. take it in thoſe two things that Solomon mentions,Eccleſ. 1.15.Eccl 1:15 Eccleſ. 1.15. (1) In the defect of wiſdom: That which is wanting cannot be numbred; there are many thouſand concluſions in nature that the moſt exquiſite underſtanding is not able to pierce into, and there are many thouſand turnings in providence that do amaze and non-plus the wiſdom of the wiſeſt men in the world; and therefore in this reſpect God doth even charge his Angels with folly, how much more men, that is, there is in them a negative ignorance, which is folly, if compared with the infinite wiſdom of the great God. (2) They cannot make a crooked thing ſtraight; that is, they do meet with men of croſs and perverſe ſpirits, which they cannot change, and men of crooked diſpoſitions, and they do meet in the way of their wiſdom alſo with many croſs providences, that all things do not ſucceed according to their plots, and as they would have them, and then they are put upon new plots and devices to rectifie the other, and yet when they have done all, their wiſdom could not prevent it, neither can their wiſdom reform it, that which is crooked will be crooked ſtill, and the men that oppoſe them will oppoſe them ſtill, and the ſtumbling-blocks that are in the wiſe mans way will be there ſtill, and all his wiſdom cannot remove them.

2. God looks upon the wiſe men of the world and their wiſdom as enemies unto himſelf, and the Lord hates as much to be oppoſed in a way of policy, as in a way of power, Rom. 8.6. their wiſdom is enmity againſt the Law of God, it is not ſubject, neither can it be. Aquinas obſerves, That faith is more ſtrange to a wiſe man and a learned man, than it is u…to another that is more ignorant, becauſe he is able to raiſe more objections and doubts againſt it, and the grounds of it, than another man is; and therefore if any man in the world ſtumble at the Word of God, or the ways of God, it is a wiſe man according to the fleſh, and he has much to ſay, and ſtrong reaſons to object againſt it. There are two things that muſt be exalted in the heart of the Saints in the Word of God: (1) The holineſs of the Word; (2) The wiſdom of the Word, a man muſt look upon it as that which will be his wiſdom alſo. Now a man that is profane, he is an enemy unto the word, and is not ſubject to it becauſe p. 445of the Holineſs of it, he muſt take more liberty than the Word will give him, it is too ſtrait and narrow a way for him; and a wiſe man is offended at the Simplicity of the Word, it doth not agree with his Wiſdom, he is ready to think he could give better Rules to guide a mans life, and bring him unto Happineſs, of governing of Eſtates, and ordering the affairs of men, than the Word doth lay down, and ſo he cannot ſubmit to it, becauſe he doth look upon it as a fooliſh thing, and as that which hath no wiſdom in it; but a man muſt ſubmit in point of wiſdom and holineſs to it.

3. All fleſhly Wiſdom the Lord doth hate, and look upon as D…viliſh, Jam. 3.15.Jam. 3.15.Jas 3:15 that as ſpiritual wiſdom is a Divine beam from the Father of Light, ſo is carnal Wiſdom a ſpark that ariſeth out of Hell beneath; it is a part of that wiſdom that is in the Devil, and anſwers unto it in all the ends, intents, and actings thereof; that look what ends the Devil hath in his wicked plots, ſuch have they; and look what means he uſeth, ſuch do they uſe alſo; for it is that which their wiſdom doth direct them unto; ſo that take a man that hath a ſubtle and malitious heart, and if you would ſee a picture of the Devil incarnate, that is the man; and as the wiſdom which Satan hath as an Angel (that remaining Stock) doth make him the more perfectly a Devil, ſo it is with this man alſo, all that wiſdom he has gotten by nature, and by ſtudy, and by experience and obſervation, he becomes the more like unto the Devil by it; and therefore this fleſhly wiſdom being ſo perfectly conformable unto the Devil, and being inſpired from Hell, it is ſaid to be deviliſh; for there are the Devils luſts: The Devil hath his foreign and his foreign. Now which way to vent or to propagate them in the world immediately, he knows not; and they are much more propagated when they are acted, than when they are ſuggeſted. Now the ordinary ſorts of ſinners are able to act the Devils luſts, but their plots are deep, they are ſuch depths that they muſt be wiſe men indeed that are able to underſtand them; and for that cauſe, as by his temptation he doth ſtirr up the one, ſo he doth by his ſuggeſtion inſpire the other; and as there are Meſsengers of Satan, immediate Luſts from Hell, ſo there are immediate Plots from Hell, and Satan fills the hearts of men with them, as he did the heart of Judas in his betraying of Chriſt, &c. and upon this account …or its original, and for its reſemblance, it is called by God deviliſh wiſdom.

4. God doth ſeldom or never give Grace unto that man, who is inſpired with carnal Wiſdom; he doth ſeldom graft it upon ſuch a Stock as this is, 1 Cor. 1.26. Not many wiſe men, not many noble are called; and Math. 11.25. Thou haſt hid theſe things from the wiſe and prudent, and revealed them unto Babes, &c. But might it not have been much for the honour of the Goſpel, and the advancement of Religion, if the wiſe men of the world did come, as the wiſe men of the Eaſt did, and bow down unto Chriſt, and worſhip him? would not Religion have the greater name and glory amongſt men? and would it not be freed from that ſcandal of Piſcatoria ſimplicitas? No, they are only the poor of the world, and the fooliſh and ſimple ones that embrace it and believe it, God looks not as man looks, he doth chooſe the poor of this world, and the fooliſh things of the world to confound the wiſe, &c. and this is one of thoſe depths of Gods Judgments which are unſearchable, and his wayes that are paſt finding out; for he will exalt free Grace alone. And the Lord hath no need nor the Goſpel of any ſuch Subſidiaries, he hath a wiſdom that is able to carry on the Goſpel of his Grace, and it ſhall prevail, though there be no wiſdom in the Profeſſors thereof, that it may appear to be his work, and that he doth alone promote it; if men ſtand not by the Goſpel, yet God will, and the Simplicity thereof ſhall overcome; that as he will have the Power to be of God alone, ſo the Wiſdom ſhall be alſo of God alone, that makes a man wiſe to ſalvation.

5. This is the Man that commonly the Devil doth make uſe of. There is nothing in an unregenerate man but what is or may be the Devils weapons, Luk. 11.22. his Soul is the Devils houſe, and the inward abilities of the man, that's the Armor of Satan; now the greater any natural mans abilities are, the ſtronger armour he has for Satan, and the more uſe he will make of him, and that becauſe he is able to do him more ſervice; and as God doth uſe men according to their Graces, (for he will act the Graces that he has given) ſo will Satan alſo uſe men according to their abilities, they ſhall not lye idle, he doth proportion the ſervice a man can do him, as God doth, that men may be pares negotio. They will alſo be an honour to their imployment, becauſe they are look'd upon as wiſe men by the reſt of the world, Cupit & Diabolus abs te ornari, as Auſtin ſaith of a young man of great gifts and abilities; and ſo there is this Curſe upon humane wiſdom, it is a ſervant unto Satan, and yet it is a ſnare unto the man, and a Curſe upon his Soul. And indeed Satans cauſe hath need of ſuch inſtruments, that ſhall lay deep plots, and not carry things in ſimplicity, becauſe it is darkneſs, and if it be ſeen and diſcovered, it is for the moſt part clouded. But with the Lord it is not ſo, he doth all in the Light, and loves ſo to p. 446do, therefore he has no need of any ſuch ſecret plots, and hiding of Counſels, as the wiſe men of the world are accuſtomed unto: There is but one very worldly wiſe man, namely Solomon, that the Scripture doth ſpeak of among all the godly men in it, and the Scripture has recorded more of his falling and of Gods departing from him, leaving him to himſelf, and more of the madneſs and folly that he ran upon by his exerciſe of, and his leaning upon his own wiſdom, and the uſe that the Devil made of him, than of any other godly man that we read of in all the Scripture beſides; therefore ſurely they are dangerous inſtruments in Satans hand.

6. Carnal wiſdom is commonly uſed againſt the people of God, the edge of it is commonly turned that way, Pſal. 83.3. They have taken crafty counſel againſt thy people, and conſulted againſt thy hidden ones: there are a people which the Lord hath undertaken to hide and to protect; for he is the Saviour of all men, but eſpecially of them that believe; and there are a people that he doth lay up for himſelf as his peculiar treaſure, for the word foreign, Exod. 19.5. ſignifies both theſe, and againſt theſe are the plots of the wiſe men of the earth; ſee it in Pharaoh, Achitophel, and Herod, they all proſpered till they turned their wiſdom this way; but when once they began to turn the head of their policy againſt the Saints, they did very ſpeedily find their ruine; therein the Lord did go beyond them, and they were taken in their own craftineſs. For when Satan has ingaged their ſpirits againſt the Saints, Satan never leaves, but he makes them reſtleſs, raiſeth up in them both great plots and great hopes, and ſo they never ceaſe till they meet with the Church as a burdenſom ſtone, at which they will always be lifting, till they be broken therewith; for in their very policy they do periſh, and in their own plots, as in the net which they had privily laid is their foot taken, Zac. 12.1, 2. Behold I will make Jeruſalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they ſhall be in the ſiege both againſt Judah and Jeruſalem.

2. How doth the Lord turn theſe plottings of wicked men, be they never ſo deep, unto the good of his people?

1. God doth ſet Divine wiſdom on work for them; for they have an intereſt in all the Attributes of God, and they ſhall be put forth for them as their neceſſities do require, Pſal. 119.120. It is time for thee, Lord, to work, for they have made void thy law. The Saints may deſire God to put out an Attribute then, and they do flye unto their ſtrong hold, unto their chambers, as Eſa. 26. as when the power of man is exalted againſt them, now it is time for them to ſay, We have no might againſt this multitude, but our eyes are upon thee, it is all one to thee to ſave with few or with many; ſo when carnal wiſdom is exalted, now is the time for God to put forth his wiſdom for them that are his people; for they ſay, We have no wiſdom againſt this wiſe and ſubtle generation, but our eyes are upon thee, and in thee is our wiſdom laid up. Herod had a plot againſt Chriſt, and he will come and worſhip him, that is, he would come and deſtroy him, and the Wiſe-men alſo that came to ſeek him; now is the wiſdom of God put forth for Chriſts preſervation, one is ſent into Egypt, and the other are admoniſhed by God, and they return into their own country another way. And the people of God have more benefit by ſeeing the wiſdom of God acting for them, than they can have diſadvantage or diſcouragement, by ſeeing all the wiſe men of the world againſt them. O great is the ſweetneſs that the people of God have by ſeeing any Attribute act for them, and for their good, that by this means they may come to underſtand their inheritance in Attributes, which is far beyond that of creatures or promiſes: as a father, his bowels are moved for a child, when he ſees him in danger, and then his affections do diſcover themſelves; ſo do the Saints expect that the Lord ſhall fulfil his relation in that reſpect, when dangers are preſſing upon them, &c.

2. In the middle of all their plots they comfort themſelves in this, that they ſhall take no effect againſt them, till they have done the ſervice which the Lord hath, appointed them unto, Luke 13.32. they told Chriſt that Herod had a plot upon him to kill him, he ſaith, Go tell that Fox, Luk. 13.32.Luke 13:32behold I caſt out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I ſhall be perfected. Franc. in his Hiſtory Animalium, gives us three properties of a Fox, he is animal doloſum, crudele, guloſum, ſubtle and deceitful, all for death, cruel, and all for the prey: and there is a double property of him as deceitful. (1) Noctu prorepit, he only goes forth in the night, doth all things ſecretly; and ſo do Plotters, they muſt not be ſeen, and a great part of their wiſdom is to be undiſcovered. (2) Nunquam rectis incedit itineribus, ſed ambagibus, He doth never go right on, but always he hath his windings and turnings; ſo Politicians, they love to walk unſeen, and they never love to go in plain paths, but in ſecret ways to enſnare men: But Chriſt, when they told him of the deſign of this Fox Herod, he comforts himſelf with this, there is a ſet time for my work, and then when that is done my ſervice is perfect, then ſhall I dye, and I know all his policy ſhall be able to avail nothing againſt me, till I have finiſhed the work that the Father has given me to do. And p. 447ſo may all the Saints comfort themſelves againſt all the plots of wicked men againſt them, they ſhall finiſh their work notwithſtanding.

3. This ſhall ſometimes make way for their ſervice in a wonderful manner: the Jews had a plot againſt Paul, and they had taken an oath, That they would neither eat nor drink …ill they had killed him; this occaſioned his being ſent unto Caeſarea firſt, and afterwards to Rome, where the Lord told him he muſt bear witneſs of him alſo; and glorious was the ſervice that he did there; and the ſouls that he converted were many, and in a ſpecial manner even in Caeſars family there were ſouls brought home unto the Lord, Phil. 4.22. All the Saints ſalute you, chiefly thoſe that are of Caeſars houſhold: it was Nero that opprobrium humani generis, and yet the Lord had ſome to pluck out there; and the Lord made the plot which they had againſt him the occaſion of all this great work: what loſer was Paul by it? nay how much honour did it bring unto t… Lord? and how great thankſgiving was given unto God by theſe p…or converted ſouls, who came unto the knowledge of the Goſpel, and the way to life by this means?

4. What they do plot to hinder, ſhall by their very plots be advanced, Eſa. 44.25. he turns wiſe men backward, that is, they ſhall ſee a quite contrary effect unto that which by their wiſdom they intended to bring to paſs againſt the Jews: and the raiſing perſecution againſt the Chriſtians ſince, was to hinder the Goſpel, and to ſuppreſs it; but this did further the Goſpel, for it did occaſion their going forth unto the Gentiles, and by this means the ſound went forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world; and … the caſting off of the Jews became the inriching of the Gentiles by this means, which elſe had never been ſo gloriouſly and fully done: and I do not doubt, but the very oppoſition that is againſt the Ordinances of the Goſpel ſhall eſtabliſh them in the Lords time, and the oppoſition againſt any truth hath ever eſtabliſhed that truth; for they are but as winds that root the trees, by ſhaking of them they faſten, Jer. 20.10. Report, ſay they, and we will report it; the wicked plot to take away the good names of the Saints by caſting out ſlanders againſt them, as if they were the vileſt wretches upon earth; but there is not ſuch a way to bring an honour upon them, and to cauſe the Lord to make their light to break forth out of darkneſs unto after generations, as to reproach them.

5. Hereby they have experience of thoſe glorious promiſes that God has made to his people, of fruſtrating the plots of their enemies, Eſa. 8.10. Conſult, but it ſhall come to nought, speak the word, but it ſhall not ſtand, for God is with us: Prov. 6.14. Frowardneſs is in his heart, he deviſ…th miſchief continually, he ſowed diſcord, therefore ſhall his calamity come ſuddenly, ſuddenly ſhall he be broken without remedy: and Pſal. 19.21. Many devices are in the heart of a man, but the counſel of God, that ſhall ſtand. Pſal. 64.6, 7. They ſearch out iniquity, they accomplìſh a diligent ſearch, the inward thoughts of every one of them, and the heart is deep, but God ſhall ſhoot at them with an arrow, and ſuddenly ſhall they be wounded. Hereby the Saints flye unto thoſe promiſes, and they have experience of their intereſt and the prayers of the ancient Saints againſt all the enemies that ever plotted miſchief againſt the Church; as the inſtance of Judas; they are anſwered in after-generations: and there is a Communion of Saints that the people of God have with Saints departed upon this ground alſo, they have a benefit by the prayers which they did put up upon earth, which are accompliſhed upon the enemies of the Church and people of God in after-ages.

Laſtly, They have experience of ſtrange, ſecret, and glorious deliverances by this means; and truly experience of God in any kind is no ſmall advantage to the Saints, they make much of their own experiences, and live upon them afterwards. Poſſidon tells us in the Life of Auſtin, that as he was travelling there were certain of the Donatiſts, whom he calls Circumcelliones, that did lay wait for him armed to kill him, obvenit Dei providentia, ſed ductoris errore, but he miſſed the way, & per hunc errorem manus impias evaſit, and ſo eſcaped. This drew forth in him and in many others of the people of God many praiſes unto God for ſo great and unknown deliverance: and I did the rather inſiſt upon this, becauſe the enemies of the people of God are very buſie in plotting againſt the Saints, and we have cauſe to fear the fraud of the enemy as well as their force; though if hand joyn with hand, yet the wicked ſhall not be unpuniſhed; and the God that has delivered, will again deliver. Theſe things may one day be worth thinking of; when we are caſt upon ſuch providences, that we know not what to do, then the Lord will ariſe for the help of thoſe that wait on him.

FINIS.

End of the text · William Strong, A Discourse of the Two Covenants (1678)