Several Discourses Considering the Providence of God, Discourse · Part 2 · Sermon 30
SERMON XXX.
Pſal. CVII. 43.
Whoſo is wiſe, and will obſerve theſe things: even they ſhall underſtand the loving-kindneſs of the Lord.
I Go on yet in my obſervations concerning the Actual Providence of God, and that more eſpecially in dealing out diſtributive juſtice, recompenſing the righteous and the unrighteous. I obſerved the laſt time that it is a thing very ordinary with Divine Providence to proceed ſlowly in theſe diſtributions. But by how much ſlower the puniſhment of a ſinner, or the reward of a good man cometh from the Lord, by ſo much the greater, both the one and the other is. I now proceed to another Obſervation.
Obſervat. 17. That the Providence of God is very quick in the diſtribution both of puniſhments and rewards unto ſome.
I ſhall diſcourſe it firſt with relation to puniſhments, and then with reference to the rewards of Providence. Firſt, As to puniſhments. The Apoſtle Paul to Timothy 1 Tim. 5.24. hath this expreſſion, Some mens ſins are open before-hand unto judgement, and ſome mens they follow after: likewiſe alſo the good works of ſome are manifeſt before-hand, and they that are otherwiſe cannot be hid. I know it is a Text of which Interpreters give various ſenſes, as they underſtand it of the judgment of God, ſome of them, others of the judgement of men; and amongſt thoſe who underſtand it of the later, ſome underſtand it of the judgment of the Magiſtrate, others of the judgment of the Church; ſome of both theſe, ſome of the judgment of God, and the Eccleſiaſtical judgment alſo. I ſhall not pretend to give the juſt ſenſe of it, I ſhall only allude to it in my diſcourſe. As there are ſome ſins that are open and manifeſt with reſpect to the filth and guilt of them; they do not hide their ſin, but proclaim it as Sodom, they go to the Devil with a trumpet before them, all the world takes notice of them; others ſin more ſecretly and ſlily and in corners. So God as to ſome ſinners ſits in judgement preſently. Some indeed he is more ſlow with, they are kept to the great Aſſize, or for many years, but he is not ſo ſlow with all, but either immediately by his own hand, (as in the caſe of Ananias and Saphira Acts 5.) or elſe by the ſword of the Magiſtrate, he cuts them off preſently, and giveth them a ſudden recompence of their evil deeds. Now it may poſſibly be asked by ſome, what are thoſe ſins, or in what caſe is God ſo quick with ſinners; nor may the inquiry be unprofitable for us, for becauſe judgement is not executed ſpeedily, the heart of man is ſet in him to do evil. Gods deferring judgment and giving day for the execution of his wrath, doth much embolden ſinners. Let us therefore ſee in what caſes God ſeldom grants reprieves, but is very quick with ſinners, and ſendeth them down to Hell reeking with their luſts; this I ſhall indeavour to ſhew you in ſeveral particulars.
1. It is hard to name any ſpecies of ſins, as to which God hath not made, or doth not make ſome preſent examples of his vengeance: So as no ſinner can promiſe himſelf the reprieve of an hour or day. 1. In the caſe of Idolatry (which is a grievous ſin againſt the firſt and ſecond commandment) you will find that God proceeded very ſlowly to judgment for this ſin, both in the Canaanites, and in the Iſraelites; with the Canaanites though they were abominable idolaters, God bare many hundreds of years. With the ten tribes who were idolaters, from the time of Jeroboam the ſon of Nebat, who made Iſrael to ſin, unto the time when they were finally deſtroyed, and carried away captives, God bare with them a long time: but you ſhall find God quicker at another time, Exod. 32. The people make themſelves a golden Calf. Moſes comes down from the Mount, and findeth them at their idolatrous worſhip. Moſes commandeth the ſons of Levi to put every man his ſword by his ſide, and to go in and out from gate to gate throughout the Camp, and to ſlay every man his Brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour; and v. 28. it is ſaid that the children of Levi did according to the word of Moſes. And there fell of the people that day about three thouſand men. There God was very quick with idolaters. Blaſpheming, Curſing and ſwearing is a ſin, againſt the third commandment. God as to the puniſhment of theſe ſins ſometimes proceedeth very ſlowly: but not alwaies. Look into Levit. 24.10. There was the ſon of an Iſraelitiſh woman that blaſphemed the name of the Lord, and curſed, he was put in priſon. God preſently giveth order concerning him, v. 14. That he ſhould be brought forth without the Camp, and ſtoned to death preſently. Sabbath-breaking (it is a ſin againſt the fourth precept of the Decalogue) God is ordinarily very ſlow in the puniſhing of this ſin: many a Sabbath-breaker goeth on year after year, and yet is not puniſhed, but God doth not do thus with all. The man that did but gather ſticks upon the Sabbath-day was ſtoned to death by Gods expreſs order and command, Numb. 30.35. Rebellion againſt Parents, curſing them and diſhonouring them is a very great ſin, yet God beareth with many wretches a long time that are guilty of it, as we ſee in the experience of our own lives. A wretched Child is a plague to his Parents many years: but God doth not always bear with ſinners in this caſe. See what a Law God gave the Iſraelites in this caſe, Deut. 21.18, 19, 20, 21. God ordered That he ſhould be preſently ſtoned to death, that would not obey the voice of his Father and Mother. For Murther, which is a ſin againſt the ſixth Commandment, I ſhall not inlarge, I ſhall ſhew you anon that it is a ſin which God rarely ſuffereth to go long unpuniſhed. The Law of God determined preſent death, for wilful murder, and the laws of moſt nations are accordingly; and we daily ſee the providence of God ſtrangely working to make murtherers examples of his vengeance. Adultery is a ſin againſt the ſeventh Commandment; God ſometimes is very patient and proceedeth very ſlowly, but yet not always; ſometimes he ſtrikes a dart through his liver ſooner. God eſtabliſhed a law in the Jewiſh polity; That the Adulterer ſhould be put to death, Lev. 20.10. Deut. 22.22. and you know Phinehas preſently took a Javelin, and ran it through an Adulterer and an Adultereſs and had an ample reward given him from God for it. In the caſe of theft, God may ſometimes be very patient, and doubtleſs there are many old Thieves in the world, who yet will not eſcape the vengeance of God at laſt. But God is not always patient with all theſe ſinners. Achan was an eminent Thief, he laid his hands upon Gods goods, God had firſt ſeized upon the goods of the Canaanites, and ſet them a part for a ſacrifice by fire to himſelf: Achan ſteals a wedge of Gold, and a Babiloniſh garment; God preſently revengeth it, firſt upon all the Army of Iſrael, of which he was a member, then upon himſelf, and his family, who were ſtoned to death with ſtones. For lying, and bearing a falſe teſtimony, witneſſing againſt the life of another as a criminal, who was not a criminal, they are ſins againſt the ninth Commandment; God is often very patient with theſe ſinners, he doth not preſently enter into judgement with every liar, every Informer and accuſer of the ſervants of God. Some he reſerveth in the chains of an hard and impenitent heart, unto the judgement of the great day: but yet with ſome of theſe ſinners God is much quicker. Ananias and Saphira, as you know, fell down dead with a lye in their mouths, and the Accuſers of the three children, and Daniel, were preſently deſtroyed; the firſt by the heat of that Furnace, which they had made ſo hot for others; the ſecond by thoſe Lions, which they had procured Daniel to be thrown unto. But this is enough to have ſaid in juſtification of my firſt concluſion, That it is hard to name any ſpecies of ſinners, but God hath been very quick with ſome individuals of their company.
2. I find ſome Divines obſerving, That God is ordinarily moſt ſevere upon the firſt violators of his laws: and this is the reaſon that is given by ſome, why the Sabbath-breaker was ordered to be ſtoned to death. God had newly revealed his will upon Mount Sinai, Exod. 31.14. and repeated it, Exod. 35. Now God picks out one of the firſt open preſumptuous violators of it to make him an example; you know this is after the manner of men, who are uſually very ſevere upon the firſt execution of their laws. Ananias and Saphira were not the firſt that had told a lye, but they were the firſt that we read of, who had told a lye in that buſineſs. It was the Will of God that to ſupply the neceſſities of his Church at that time, the Chriſtians ſhould have all things for a time common amongſt them; and it was not without a divine inſtinct at leaſt, that ſo many of them ſold their goods, and came and-brought the price of them to the Apoſtles, and laid it at their feet. Now theſe two ſeeming profeſſors to ſave their goods told a lye. God takes a very quick vengeance upon them for it. This Obſervation is not my own; having therefore named it, I ſhall leave it to your further obſervation, how the Providence of God juſtifies it.
3. There are, thirdly, ſome particular ſins which God ſeldom ſuffereth to go long unpuniſhed. I will inſtance in ſome,
1. Scandalous and impudent blaſphemy. Blaſphemy is a ſpeaking evil of God, either denying him what is due to him, or attributing that to him, which can by no means agree to his holy Eſſence; but yet there is a great deal of difference betwixt a bare denial of that to God, or to any perſon in the Godhead, which is due to them; or attributing that to God, which cannot agree to him from a meer error of Judgment, and miſtake and miſunderſtanding of Scripture, and doing this with ſcandalous reproachful terms, and a bold and daring defiance of God, for which men can pretend nothing of conſcience. God may bear long with blaſphemers of the firſt ſort; ſuch are the Jews, the Socinians, &c. But he is ordinarily very quick in the execution of his vengeance upon the others; the inſtances of Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Rabſhakeh, and others in Scripture are very obvious, and it were an eaſie thing to add to them a great deal out of Eccleſiaſtical ſtory: but if you obſerve the Providences of God in the days wherein you live, you will ſee this notion juſtified every day: it cannot ſtand with the honour of God long to bear with bold defiers and reproachers of his glorious Majeſty.
2. A ſecond ſort of ſinners, whom Divine vengeance uſeth not to ſpare or ſuffer long, are murtherers. God hath ſecured the lives of all men by ſpecial laws, Gen. 9.6. Whoſo ſheddeth mans blood, by man ſhall his blood be ſhed. It is one you know of thoſe Ten Commandments which God gave upon Mount Sinai, Exod. 20. Thou ſhalt do no murther. God expreſly commanded, That no ſatisfaction ſhould be taken for the life of the murtherer, Numb. 35.31, 32, 33. and tells us, the land where murther is committed, cannot be purged but by the blood of him that ſhed it; and it is a very ordinary obſervation, that murther will out; and we ſee it in our ordinary experience. There is nothing more remarkable in our obſervation, than the variety of methods, which the Providence of God uſeth in the diſcovery of murther: but I remember in my former diſcourſes, I have ſpoken ſomething of this.
3. A third ſort of ſinners, which God in his Actual Providence, is ordinarily very quick with, are Perſecutors. Perſecution is a violent purſuit of another for the open profeſſion of ſome neceſſary truth; whether thoſe that do it, have an humane law in the caſe or no, maketh little or no difference in the caſe. You know the Jews ſaid, We have a law, and by that law he ought to dye, yet I hope they perſecuted Chriſt: the Perſecutors of the three children, and of the Prophet Daniel, had a law, or what in thoſe Countreys, was equivalent, a decree of the Supreme Magiſtrate. In ſhort, there hath been little or no perſecution ever in the world, if humane Laws will alter the caſe. It is a moſt vile and cauſeleſs tranſgreſſion, and as (I have before obſerved to you) though Hiſtory tells us of perſecutions that laſted many years, yet you rarely know God bear long with furious and individual perfecutors, whether they were Informers, Delators, Accuſers or Judges; you know how quick God was with the accuſers of the three children, and of Daniel. The Providence of God in all times hath juſtified, and ſtill doth ſo eminently juſtifie this Obſervation, that it were to abuſe your patience, to enlarge far upon it; it is very rare that a Perſecutor doth not carry ſome mark of Divine vengeance upon him to his grave.
4. A fourth ſort of ſinners, with whom the Providence of God is ordinarily very quick, is ſuch as eminently affront, or do ſome eminent injury to their ſuperiors. This is juſtified by all that I ſaid before of the conſpicuouſneſs of Divine Providence, in the protection of thoſe whom he hath ſet to rule over others. I gave you many inſtances. That of Corah, Dathan, and Abiram may be added, you know the Earth opened her mouth, and ſwallowed them up; to which may be added that of Miriam, who was ſtricken with the plague of leproſie, for her affront to Moſes. The Law of God concerning a rebellious Son (which I before enlarged upon) is another inſtance. In ſhort, mark it of whom you will, where ſome eminent affronts are by any offered to the publick government of a nation, eſpecially where the rulers rule well, and do their duty, or in a Church, or (finally) in a private family, God doth very rarely let it go long unrevenged. If any one ſhall ask me the reaſon of this quickneſs of Divine Providence with ſome ſorts of ſinners, theſe particularly which I have mentioned, though I think it a great preſumption for any to undertake to give the reaſon of any Divine Motions; yet I do not think it difficult to ſhew you that they are exceeding reaſonable, and what thoſe imperfect remains of right reaſon, which ſince the fall are left in us, muſt readily ſo acknowledg.
1. For the vindication of the Divine Majeſty and authority, as it is natural to every creature, to uſe all its power to preſerve its own being; ſo it is natural to rational beings to preſerve their own honour, and to maintain their reputation. The Glory, Honour, Majeſty, and Authority of God are things which he will not give unto others, which he will not proſtitute to the ſordid luſts of worms. Now though every ſin doth impeach his Glory, yet not every ſin alike: as amongſt men, thoſe who are firſt in the violation of a Law, ſeem moſt to confront, and dare, and debaſe the authority that made it; ſo thoſe who are the firſt examples of ſinning againſt a Divine Law, or who teach the world new kinds of ſins and diſorders, being the boldeſt affronters of the Divine Authority, uſually are made more quick examples of Divine Vengeance: ſo for the blaſphemer, he is the moſt eminent contemner of the Divine Majeſty and Glory, he ſpeaketh evil of the ſupreme good, and ſpits as it were in the face of the moſt excellent being, and curſeth him that is the fountain of bleſſing: God over all bleſſed for ever.
2. For the Demonſtration of Gods love to mankind, the ſpecialties of his Providence towards man, and the order and government of humane ſocieties, and thoſe whom he hath ſet up to rule over others; I have obſerved to you before, that man is under a ſpecialty of Providence above all other creatures; that amongſt men thoſe whom God hath ſet to rule well, whether in Church or State, are under a further ſpecial care; that he hath hedged them about by more particular and ſpecial Laws. Now if God by his Providence did not make ſome eminent examples of his ſeverity and juſtice, and proceed quickly againſt them, how ſhould his ſpecial Providence be manifeſted?
3. It is but reaſonable, that God ſhould make Perſecutors quick examples of his vengeance, if we conſider what a complication of ſin there is in the violent proſecution of others, for the profeſſion of the truth.
1. There is eminent injury done to God: he is hindered as to the calves of thoſe lips which the perſecutor ſhuts up. All the immediate honour which God hath in the world, is from the Preaching of the Goſpel, from the prayers and praiſes of his People. Now if God hath any glory from the publication of his Goſpel, from the joynt-prayers and praiſes of his Saints, the perſecutor that hindereth theſe, robbeth God of it, and ſetteth himſelf againſt the God of Heaven and Earth in thoſe things, whereby he hath choſen to be honoured; his buſineſs is to interrupt, diſturb, and hinder the making known of Chriſt to poor ſouls, to hinder Gods Peoples joynt-praiſes of him, and prayers to him; he ſaith to thoſe whom he perſecuteth, You ſhall not ſerve God, and thus bids an impudent and bold defiance to the Lord of Heaven and Earth.
2. There is in perſecution an eminent injury done to our neighbour. God is not only the avenger of his own glory, but concerning injuries done to men, he hath ſaid, Vengeance is mine, and I will repay it. Now in all perſecutions there muſt be ſome great wrong done to our neighbour, either as to his name, or liberty, or eſtate, or life. And, ſecondly, it is an injury done to him cauſeleſly, not by way of retaliation. In truth it is the Image of God which the perſecutor flies upon, and it is the holineſs and righteouſneſs of his brother, which he is not able to endure, ſeeing his own leud and abominable life condemned, by his neighbours more righteous converſation. It is therefore but reaſonable, that that God who is jealous of his own glory, and the judg of the innocent perſon, and who hath ſaid, Vengeance is mine, and I will repay it, ſhould be ſevere in his dealings with ſuch ſinners, and for his elect ſake ſhorten the days of ſuch blood-thirſty men. But this is enough to have ſpoken to the firſt part of the Obſervation.
I told you, ſecondly, that the Providence of God, is alſo ſometimes very quick in the diſtribution of rewards; and this you ſhall eſpecially obſerve in theſe caſes 1. In rewards of ſuch as have been eminent ſufferers for God. God doth variouſly reward ſuch perſons, ſometimes by temporal rewards that are ſenſible and external: ſometimes ſuch as are more inward and ſpiritual▪ Now Gods Providence is often very quick in ſuch diſtributions, how quickly did God reward Daniel, after he came out of the Lions den? and the three Children, after they came out of the fiery Furnace; and Mordecai after h… had ventured himſelf ſo ſignally in the cauſe of God, and ſaw the very gallows ſet up on which his great adverſary thought to have had him hanged? For thoſe rewards that are more inward, and diſcerned only by thoſe that receive them; how many inſtances might be given, of ſtrange incomes of joy, and peace, and ſtrength, with which the ſuffering ſervants of God have been rewarded ſo as their inward joy hath drowned their pain, quenched as it were the flame, &c.
2. In the rewards of ſuch as have done ſome great and eminent ſervice for God; bearing ſome ſignal teſtimony againſt ſin, as in the caſe of Phinehas who ſlew Zimri and Cosbi, Num. 25.11. or been faithful in ſome great ſervice, in which others have made ſome great defection, as in the caſe of Caleb and Joſhua, Num. 14.6. who brought up a true report of the land of Canaan, and gave in a true teſtimony for God againſt all the reſt of the Spies, and when the whole people were in a mutiny.
3. You ſhall obſerve, that the Providence of God is ordinarily very quick in rewarding wicked men for any ſervice they do him. I might give you many inſtances of this, that of Jehu is an eminent one; God gave him and his poſterity a preſent reward for the good ſervice he had done againſt the houſe of Ahab; and he gave the King of Aſſyria a preſent reward for the ſervice, wherewith he had made his Army to ſerve againſt Tyrus. The like obſervation might be made in many other caſes, and it is no more than we may make a daily obſervation of: when God rewards thoſe whom he intendeth not to reward eternally, he doth it in this life quickly. And the motions of Divine Providence, in theſe caſes cannot but appear to be highly reaſonable, if we do but conſider,
1. That this is but after the manner of men, to ſuch as do ſignal and eminent ſervices, to give both preſent and great rewards, for the encouragement of others: though ordinarily common ſouldiers ſometimes ſtay for their pay; yet ſome perſons that have ſignalized their valour, are often Knighted in the field, and ſome mark of great favour faſtned upon them.
2. That Divine righteouſneſs is thus fulfilled, and not only fulfilled, but ſo conſpicuouſly, that all the world may take notice: that God is a righteous God, fulfilling his word, and that no man ſerveth him for nothing. Godlineſs, (as the Apoſtle tells us) hath promiſe not only of that life which is to come, but of this life alſo. Mar. 10.29, 30. There is no man that hath left houſe, or brethren, or ſiſters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, for my ſake, or the Goſpel; but he ſhall receive an hundred-fold now in this time, houſes, and brethren, and ſiſters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with perſecutions; and in the life to come, eternal life. Theſe and ſuch-like promiſes, reſpecting this life, or that which is to come; muſt be juſtified, and ſo juſtified, that the world may take notice, that God is true to them; which cannot be, unleſs God to ſome ſuch ſervants of his, ſhould diſpenſe out quick and preſent rewards.
3. On the other ſide, it is but reaſonable, that God ſhould preſently reward the ſervices that wicked men do him: Becauſe there is no portion provided for them in that life which is to come; neither can they truſt God for the life to come: all they look at is preſent pay, and reward. Thus I have opened to you this Obſervation in the Doctrinal part of it, and ſhewed you the reaſonableneſs of theſe motions of Divine Providence. I come now to the application; which I ſhall ſhortly diſpatch.
Ʋſe. This Obſervation affords us a new, and potent argument. 1. To perſwade ſinners from preſumptuous ſinnings. 2. To engage men to more eminent ſervices and ſufferings for God.
1. I ſay, firſt, To diſſwade ſinners from preſumptuous ſinnings againſt God. The flow motions of Divine Providence, as to the puniſhment of ſinners, as I told you, do much incourage ſinners to go on in their courſes of ſin; the hearts of ſinners are ſet in them to do evil, becauſe judgement is not executed ſpeedily. I indeavoured to diſcourage and check this preſumption in my former obſervation; where I confirmed to you, that by how much the more ſlowly vindicative juſtice proceedeth to the puniſhment of ſin, by ſo much ſeverer the puniſhment is when it cometh. This Obſervation addeth further to that check; for, as that which men call ſlackneſs, is but the long ſuffering and patience of God, not willing that any ſhould periſh, but that all ſhould be ſaved by a ſeaſonable repentance. So (as you have now heard at large diſcourſed to you) neither is God thus long-ſuffering, and patient with all: and although God generally be more quick with thoſe ſorts of ſinners, which I have ſpecified to you; yet I deſire you to obſerve what I firſt enlarged upon, that there is hardly any kind or ſort of ſinners, but God at ſome time or other hath picked out ſome or other of them, to make them examples of his ſeverity, Thou maiſt be ſtruck dead, while the lye is in thy mouth. It was the caſe you know of Ananias and Saphira. Thou maiſt be cut off in the very Act of Adultery, (It was the caſe, you know, of Zimri and Cosbi). Tremble therefore, and do not ſin, God may grant thee many years of patience, he may give thee leave to treaſure up wrath to thy ſelf againſt the day of wrath; but thou canſt not promiſe thy ſelf an hours patience. But above all, fear thoſe ſins which God uſually is ſo quick in puniſhing. Fear blaſpheming God, or the King; we live in a blaſpheming age, wherein have been more bold darings of God, than in former times. God hath revenged his glory upon ſome of them, they have been cut off in their youth, before they have lived out half their dayes. If another generation riſeth up, and approveth their ſayings, wait but a while, and you will ſee vengeance overtaking them alſo. Fear doing any thing againſt the life of others, who by the law of God ought not to dye. Blood-thirſty men ſhall not live out half their days, you fee Gods vengeance againſt this ſin is very quick.
2. This Obſervation affords a great encouragement to the ſervice of God, eſpecially to eminent actings, and ſufferings for God. There is a reward for righteous men, if they go without it to their dying day; yet they ſhall be recompenſed in the generation of the juſt. Heaven will pay for all; but God doth not always take ſo long a day to recompence them. Many have a reward in this life, and that which is to come. The Scripture is full of promiſes, even of the good things of this life, to godlineſs in the general; and to the ſeveral parts, and acts of godlineſs. Theſe promiſes indeed are not made good to every child of God, in ſpecie, but only in equivalent, yea tranſcendent mercies. But even theſe promiſes are made good to many; and they may be thy portion, however thou ſhalt not miſs of the greater things. Particularly, this layeth an engagement upon all that fear God, as God calleth them to it, and giveth them advantage for it to ſignalize themſelves, by eminent actings, or by ſome eminent ſufferings: ſuch you have heard God ordinarily payeth preſently; and beſides that eternal recompence which they have in glory, they are in more outward, and ſenſible things, or in more inward influences of grace recompenſed in this life. Thoſe that eminently honour God, he will honour; and many of them have a double meſs ſent them from the Lord.