A Christian Library, Chapter 34
CHAP. 34. That though God disposeth of all their malice to his Childrens greater good, yet they shall be rewarded according to their mischievous intentions.
Ob. IF it be so, that the malice of wicked men makes so much for the behoof of Gods people; and that whatsoever they do unto us, is but the execution of Gods will, and f…ll accomplishment of his just decree; it may seem to make on their side, and not only extenuate their evil, but give them occasion of boasting.
Ans. Although God disposeth it to the good of his children, that he may bring about all things to make for his own glory; yet they intend onelyonly evill in it, as namely; the Dishonour of God, the ruine of mens souls (as I have proved in the Drunkards Character) and the satisfying of their own serpentine enmity, and thirst of revenge. We must therefore learn to distinguish betwixt the act of God and of an enemy, as indeed Gods people do; When ye thought evil against me (saith Ioseph to his brethren) God disposed it to good, that he might bring to passe as it is this day, and save much people alive, Gen. 50.20. God had no hand in doing the evil, but God will have a hand in the disposing of it: When Satan and wicked men have their wills, even therein also is Gods will fulfilled, for Gods will is the highest cause of all things, Psal. 115.3, 4. Yea, the holy God challengeth to himself whatsoever is done in the City, Amos 3.6. but so, as neither wicked mens sins shall taint him, nor his decree justifie them: the sin is their own, the good which comes of it is Gods, the benefit ours; He doth well, in suffering to be done, whatsoever is evil done, saith Saint Augustine, and is just in their injustice. God wils the same action, as it is a blessing, triall, or chastisement of his children, which he hates as the wickednesse of the agent: because in the same thing which they did, there was not the same cause for which they did it. The lewd tongue, hand, or heart, moves from God, it moves lewdly from Satan: wicked men are never the freer from guilt and punishment, for that hand which the holy God hath …n their offensive actions. To instance in some examples; Satan did nought touching Iob, but what the Lord upon his request gave him leave to do; what then? Did God and Belial joyn in fu…filling the same act? No: sooner shall Stygian darknesse blend with light, the …rost with fire, day with night: true, God and Satan will'd the self-same thing; but God intended good, Satan ill; Satan aimed at Iobs, and God at his confusion. God used the malice of Pharaoh and S…imei unto good; what then? God afflicted his people with another minde then Pharaoh, did; God, to increase them, Pharaoh, to suppresse them. The sin of Sh…meis curse was his own, the smart of the curse was Gods; God wills that as Davids chastisement, which he hates as Shimeis wickednesse. God owed a revenge to the house of Eli, and by the delation of Doeg, he took occasion to pay it, when the Priests were slain: It was just in God, which in Doeg, was most unjust: Sauls cruelty, and the …reachery of Doeg, do not lose one dram of their guilt, by the counsel of God: Neither doth the holy counsel of God, gather any blemish by their wickednesse: If it had pleased God, to inflict death upon them sooner, without any pretence of occasion; his justice had been clear from all imputations. Now if Saul or Doeg be instead of a Pestilence or Feaver; who can cavil? The judgements of God are not ever manifest, but are alwayes just. Again, the curse of the Serpent bestowed blessednesse on Man; yea, our first Parents had been lesse glorious, if they had not wanted a Saviour. What then? Doth Satan merit thanks? No, but the contrary; for he onelyonly intended the final ruine and destruction of them and all mankinde, with the dishonour of their Maker. Lastly, the Devil does us good in this particular case, for while he assaults us with temptations, and afflicts us with crosses, he in effect helps us to Crowns. Yet still no thanks to Satan, for to be charitable is more then his meaning; it is that Divine and over-ruling Providence of God, which we are beholding unto, and to him give we the thanks.
But above all, our Saviours example will most excellently distinguish the ends of God, Satan, and wicked Men; for if we observe, Iudas delivered him to death for gain, the Iewes for envy, Pilate for fear; the Devil provoked each of them through this enmity; Christ himself, to obey his Fathers will, God the Father in love to sinners, and for their Redemption: each furthered one and the same thing, but to contrary ends: so when this enmity breaks forth in the wicked, Satan hath a hand in it as a malicious authour; as when he entred into Iudas, and made him betray Christ, Luke 22.3. Man himself as a voluntary instrument, as when Pharaoh hardened his own heart against the children of Israel, Exod. 9.34. God as a most righteous Iudge, and avenger, as when he also hardened Pharoahs heart, so punishing his former hardnesse, with further obduration, Exod. 9.12. But how in this case? Even by permitting the seed of the Serpent, from their own malicious inclination, to hate the seed of the Woman, not by infusing this malice, but by with…drawing his grace when he sees it abused: he doth not infuse corruption, he doth not with-hold the occasion; as when the Rider gives his horse the raines, we say he puts him on.
Whence that distinction of adversities, as they come from Satan, they are usually called temptations; as they come from Men, persecutions; as from God, afflictions.
Now as God turned the treachery of Iudas, not onelyonly to the praise of … …ustice, mercy, wisdom, power, &c. but to the good of all believers: so he turnes this enmity of Satan and wicked men, to his childrens great advantage (in stopping them in their courses of sin and keeping them in exercise) and his own glory: And well may he work good by evil instruments, when every Prince and Magistrate hath the seat to make profitable instruments, aswell of evil persons, as of good: yea, when there is nothing in the world, be it gall it self; yea, the excrement of a Dog, or the poison of a Serpent, but mans shallow invention can finde it is good for something: neither do two contrary poisons mingled together prove mortal.
And thus you see that the will of God may be done thanklessely, when in fulfilling the substance, we fail in the intentions, and erre in circumstances.
Now, see with the like patience, how it will fare with these men in the end. Pomponius Atticus being destin'd to famishment, & receiving no manner of sustenance for many dayes; contrary to the intention; was freed by means of that abstinence from a violent pain, & recovered of a disease; which otherwise had cost him his life. Prometheus being run in with a Rapier, and Iason receiving a great blow on the brest, each was restored to health, from dangerous and deadly impostumes, which otherwise were thought incurable. And this is our case, for even as that cured them, which their enemies intended should have killed them; so this enmity of the Serpent and his Seed, cures our souls, and makes us everlastingly happie. Yet they intending onelyonly evil in it, or at least the satisfying of their own wicked wills, (as they know better then I, wherein they imitate the Weesel, which doth a man pleasure in destroying of Vermine, yet only intends the satisfying of her own hunger, not his good that keeps the house) can no way assume the least praise to themselves, nor expect the more favour. That which is ill of it self is not to be ventured on for the good which commeth by accident. It is no priviledge to be an instrument of good by evil meanes: Nor can you expect to fare better without a healing of your errours, then the Worme in the stomack, which, when it hath devoured all the matter proper for it, dies it self: or Heleborus which after it hath wrought the cure within the body, is cast up again, together with the Malady.
The Lord doth often good to his Church, even by those Instruments whom for their sins he means to cast into Hell-fire. Ashur was his Rod to scourge Israel; that done, they fell under a sharper lash themselves: Those Nations, saith God, shall serve the King of Babel seventy years, and when the seventy years are accomplished, I will visit the King of Babel and that Nation for their iniquities, and will make it a perpetual desolation, &c. Ier. 25.11, 12. and 30, 16. even the greater sinners may punish the lesse, and prosper for a time, Ezekiel 7. I will bring the most wicked of the Heathen, and they shall possesse their Houses, vers. 24. When iniquity hath plaid her part, vengeance leaps upon the Stage; the Comedy is short, but the Tragedy is longer.
We use rubbish to scoure our vessels, when those vessels are cleared, we fling away the rubbish. Bridges that help men over the stream, at last themselves rot and sink in. When Balaams Asse had done speaking, humana voce, she lived an Asse, and died an Asse: So when God hath sufficiently afflicted the righteous, by the rod of the wicked, he will fling the Rod into the fire which is unquenchable, Isa. 33.1.
And it stands with the strength of reason, for if God, saith Saint Gregory, strike so smartly those whom he spareth; how heavie will his blows be on them whom he condemneth; and with what severity shall Cast-awayes be p…nished, when his own children are so visited and afflicted. If Gods own Children, who are as dear and near to him, as the Apple of his eye, or the signet on his right hand, suffer fo many and grievous afflictions here; what shall his adversaries suffer in Hell? undo…btedly, when the Patient is made whole, he shall be preserved; but the Plaister shall be thrown away: For as God doth t…rn evil to good to them that love him; so …e turnes good to evil to those that hate him.
Again secondly, if the wicked are punished for doing wrong to the wicked, much more for wronging the just, and innocent: But wee have many examples of the former, as that of Adonibe…eck, who having cut off the Thumbs and great Toes of Seventy Kings … were wicked like himself, had also hi… his own Thumbs and Toes cut off; Iudg. 1.5.7. And Moab, of whom the Lord saith, hee hath burnt the bones of the King of Edom into lime, therefore will I send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour, &c. Amos 2.1, 2. If the greater Serpent devours the less, there is a Dragon to devour him, therefore the enemies of Gods Church, have no hope to escape. The everlasting punishments of the ungodly are deferred, not remitted.
But all the evill thou doest to the godly, is with thy tongue?
Answ. That's bad enough, the Serpents hissing betrays his malice; and Ishmael's tongue made him a Persecuter, as well as Doeg's hands; hee did but stout Isaac, yet Saint Paul saith, hee persecuted him Gal. 4.2…. …ham onelyonly scoft at Noah, yet it brought upon him his Fathers curse, and Gods upon that. The Athenians but scoft once at Silla's wife, and it had well nigh cost the razing of their City, he was so provoked with the indignity. And whatever thou conceivest of i…, let this fault bee as far from my soul, as my soul from Hell. For assuredly, God will one day laugh you to scorn, for laughing his to scorn: and at last despise you, that have despised him in us.