A Counterpoison, Religious treatise · Chapter 34
CHAP. XXXIV.
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 behoofe of Gods people; and that whatsoever they doe unto us, is but the execution of Gods will, and full accomplishment of his just decree; it may seeme to make on their side, and not onelyonly extenuate their evill, 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 owne glory; yet they intend onelyonly evill in it, as namely; the dishonour of God, the ruine of mens soules (as I have proved in the Drunkards Character) and the satisfying of their owne serpentine enmity, and thirst of revenge. We must therefore learne to distinguish betwixt the act of God and of an enemy, as indeed Gods people doe; When yee thought evill against me (saith Joseph 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 evill, 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, Psa. 115. 3. 4. Yea, the holy God challengeth to himselfe whatsoever is done in the City, Amos 3. 6. but so, as neither wicked mens sinnes shall taint him, nor his decree justifie them: the sinne is their owne, the good which comes of it is Gods, the benefit ours; He doth well, in suffering to be done, whatsoever is evill done, saith Saint Austin, and is just in their injustice. God wils the same action, as it is a blessing, tryall, 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 Sathan: wicked men are never the freer from guilt and punishment, for that hand which the holy God hath in their offensive actions. To instance in some examples; Sathan did nought touching Job, but what the Lord upon his request gave him leave to doe; what then? Did God and Belial joyne in fulfilling the same act? no; sooner shall Stygi…n darkenesse blend with light, the frost with fire, day with night: true, God and Satan will'd the selfe same thing, but God intended good, Satan ill; Satan aimed at Jobs, and God at his confusion. God used the malice of Pharaoh and Shemei unto good; what then? God afflicted his people with another minde than Pharaoh did; God to increase them, Pharaoh to suppresse them. The sinne of Shemeis curse was his owne, the smart of the curse was Gods; God wils that as Davids chastisement, which he hates as Shimeis wickednesse. God owed a revenge to the house of Ely, and by the delation of Doeg he took occasion to pay it, when the Priests were slaine: It was just in God, which in Doeg was most unjust, Sauls cruelty, and the trechery of Doeg, doe not lose one d…am of their guilt, by the counsell of God: Neither doth the holy counsell 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 beene cleare from all imputations: Now if Saul or Doeg be in stead of a Pestilence or Feavor, who can cavill. The judgements of God are not ever manifest, but are alwaies just. Againe, 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 finall ruine and Destruction of them and all mankinde, with the dishonour of their Maker. Lastly, the Devill 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 Crownes. Yet still no thanks to Satan, for to be charitable is more than 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, Judas delivered him to death for gayne, the Jewes for envy, Pilate for feare; the Devill provoked each of them through this enmity; Christ himselfe 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 breakes forth in the wicked, Satan hath a hand in it as a malitious author; as when he entred into Judas and made him betray Christ, Luke 22. 3. Man himselfe as a voluntary instrument, as when Pharaoh hardned his owne heart against the children of Israel, Exod. 9 34. God as a most righteous Judge, and avenger, as when he also hardned Pharaohs heart, so punishing his former hardnesse, with further obdur…ion, Exod. 9. 12. But how in this case? even by permitting the seed of the Serpent, from their owne malitious inclination, to hate the Seed of the Woman, not by infusing this malice, but by withdrawing 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 raynes, 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, presecutions; as from God, afflictions.
Now as God turned the trechery of Judas, not onelyonly to the prayse of his justice, mercy, wisedome, power, &c. but to the good of all beleevers: so he turnes this enmity of Satan, and wicked men, to his childrens great advantage (in stopping them in their course of sinne, and keeping them in exercise) and his owne glory; And well may he worke good by evill instruments, when every Prince and Magistrate hath the feat to make profitable instruments, aswell of evill persons, as of good: yea, when there is nothing in the World, be it gall it selfe; yea, the excrement of a …og, or the poyson of a Serpent, but mans shallow invention can finde it is good for something: neither doe two contrary poysons mingled together prove mortall.
And thus you see that the will of God may be done thanklessely, when in fulfilling the substance we faile in the intention, and erre in circumstances.
Now see with the like patience, how it will fare with these men in the end. Pomponius Atticus being destined to famishment, and receiving no manner of sustinance for many dayes, contrary to the intention; was freed by meanes of that abstinance from a violent paine, and recovered of a disease; which otherwise had cost him his life. Prometheus being run in with a Rapier, and Jason receiving a great blow on the brest, each was restored to health, from dangerous and deadly impostume…, 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 soules, and makes us everlastingly happy. Yet they intending onelyonly evill in it; or at least, the satisfying of their owne wicked wils, as they know better than I (wherein they imitate the Weesell, which doth a man pleasure in destroying of Vermine, yet onelyonly intends the satisfying of her owne hunger, not his good that keepes the house) can no way assume the least praise to themseldes, nor expect the more favour. That which is ill of it selfe, is not to be ventered on for the good which commeth by accident. It is no priviledge to be an instrument of good, by evill 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, dyes it selfe: or Heleborus, which after it hath wrought the cure within the body, is cast up againe, together with the Mallady.
The Lord often doth good to his Church, even by those Instruments whom for their sinnes, hee meanes to cast into Hell fire. Asser was his Rod to scourge Is…ael; that done, they fell under a sharper lash themselves. Those Nations, saith God, shall serve the King of Babell Seventy yeares, and when the Seventy yeares are accomplished, I will visit the King of Babell and that Nation for their iniquities, and will make it a perpetuall desolation, &c. Jer. 25. 11, 12. and 30. 16. When iniquity hath playd her part, vengeance leaps upon the Stage; the Comedy is short, but the Tragedy is longer.
Wee use rubbish to scoure our vessell, when those vessels are cleered, we fling away the rubbish. Bridges that helpe men over the streame, at last themselves rot and sinke in. When Balaams Asse had done speaking, humana voce, she lived an Asse, and dyed an Asse: So when God hath sufficiently afflicted the righteous, by the rod of the wicked, hee will fling the Rod into the fire which is unquenchable, Isay 33. 1.
And it stands with the strength of reason, for if God, saith Saint Gregory, strike so smartly those whom he spareth; how heavy will his blowes be on them whom he condemneth; and with what severity shall Castawayes be punished, when his owne children are so visited and afflicted. If Gods own Children, who are as deare and neare to him, as the Apple of his eye, or the signet on his right hand, suffer so many and grievous afflictions here; what shall his adversaries suffer in Hell? undoubtedly, when the Patient is made whole, he shall be preserved; but the Plaister shall be thr…wen away: For as God doth turne evill to good to them that love him, so he turnes good to evill to those that hate him.
Againe secondly, if the wicked are punished for doing wrong to the wicked, much more for wronging the j…st, and innocent: But we have many examples of the former, as that of Adonibezeck, who having cut off the Thumbes and great …oes of Seventy Kings that were wicked like himselfe, had also his owne Thumbes and Toes cut off, Judg. 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 devoure, &c. Amos 2. 1. 2. If the greater Serpent devoures the lesse, there is a Dragon to devoure 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 betrayes his malice; and Ishmaels tongue made him a Persecutor, as well as Doegs hands; hee did but flout Isaack, yet Saint Paul saith, he persecuted him, Gal. 4. 29. C…am onelyonly scoft at Noah, yet it brought upon him his Fathers curse, and Gods upon that. The Athenians but scoft once at Sillas wife, and it had welny cost the razing of their City, he was so provoked with the indignity. And what ever thou conceivest of it, let this fault be as farre from my soule, as my soule from Hell. For assuredly, God will one day laugh you to scorne, for laughing his to scorne: and at last d…spise you, that have despised him in us.