this deceives us,we look upon Gods providence in fome few particulars onely looke but upon a wheele or two,and not as they are one within another, for then (indeed) we fhould fee things that might cause us to wonder: as we fee Iofeph,an innocent man,lying in difgrace and imprifonment; and David, though innocent, yet a long time difgraced in the Court of Saul, and afterwards shimei curfing him; yea,wee fee Ias VS CHRIST himfelfe delivered and condemned for an Impoftor,and that by witneffes,and in a legall manner: fo wee fee Paul, one that was a man full of zeale, yet accounted one of the worst men that lived in his time: and Naboth, an innocent man, condemned to death by witnesses, and stoned; and who fhall rise againe to fhew his innocencie? If you looke but upon a wheele or two, you shall finde the Church readie to be fwallowed up in Hefters time: but if you looke upon them all at once, then you will fee, that these paffages have eyes in them, and that they have Angels, and the Spirit to guide them. As for example; looke on all the wheeles of Iofephs life, you shall see the envie of his brethren, felling him to the Steward of Pharoahs houfe,and there,his falling out with his Miftreffe,his being caft into prifon, and meeting with Pharoahs Officers; whereby hee was made knowne to Pharoah, and fo hee became great in Pharoahs Court: and then you fee it is a goodly worke. So in David, take all the wheeles toge ther,and you fhall fee a glorious worke; how God brought him along to the Kingdome; God was D3 with Object. 3. with him,and wrought his workes for him, when he did fit ftill, and when his hand was not upon Saul,then he fent the Philistines to vex him,and to end his dayes: and first he gave David the Kingdome of Iudah, and then afterwards Abner and Ifbbofbeth fell out about a word,which occafioned the death of one of them; and then alfo came two wicked men, and took off the others head; and fo the whole Kingdome of Ifrael came quietly into his hand. So also in Efthers time, take all the wheeles together, and you shall fee an excellent act of Gods providence,when the Church was readie to be deftroyed,when the necke was upon the blocke,and the Sword drawn out,ready to strike; that very night the King fhould not fleepe, but a Booke must be brought, and rather Chronicles than any other,and that place (hould be opened, where he should finde Mordecai his revealing of the treafon against him; whereupon the Decree must be revoked, and the Church delivered: I fay, take all these together,and we shall plainely fee,that in this ftrange adminiftration of things, there is still a Providence, and there are eyes in the wheeles,and a fpirit to guide them. If there be fuch a God that made the Heaven and the Earth; what is the reafon then, that wee fee things are brought to paffe by natural causes? If there be a caufe for fuch a thing,the effect doth follow; when there is no cause, then the effect doth not: as, a wife man doth bring a thing to paffe,but the foolish miscarries in it; we fee the diligent hand maketh rich, and hee that labours not, not,hath nothing,and things that are strong, prevaile against thofe that are weake: and fo God is forgotten in the World, and his Wisdome and Power is not seene. It is not fo: God doth carry it often another way; as it is, Ecclef.9. 11. Alway the battell is not to the ftrong, but chance and accident befall them all: that is, the Lord of purpose doth often change them, that his Power and Might may be feene. Wee fee often, that Princes walke on foot like fervants, and fervants ride like Princes, as in Chap. 10. hat is, things doe not alwayes come to paffe according to their caufe; for when the cause is exceeding faire to bring forth fuch an effect, yet we fee it is an abortive birth, and fuch things come to paffe that we looked not for: as hee that was diligent, many times come to povertie; the wife doe often mifcarry, in bringing their enterprises to paffe. Anfw. 1. Ecclef.9.11. Events are fometimes contrary to mans prepa rations. ales. 10. cause. Though the immediate caufe produceth the Anfw.2. effect,yet who is the firft caufe? As for example; God the first though folly be the cause that fuch a bufineffe doth mifcarry,yet who is the cause of that folly? It is finne that bringeth deftruction, and doth precipitate a man thereunto; but who is it that leaveth men to their finnes and lufts? You fee what was the immediate caufe of the loffe of Rehoboams Kingdome, the ill counfell that was given him by the young men ; but who was it that fitted the cause thereunto? was it not the Lord? So on the contrarie, we fee that godlineffe is the cause of good fucceffe,and makes men to profper; D 4 but Object. Answ. Gods difpofing of the afflictions of the godly, and the profperitie of the wicked. but who is the cause of that caufe? is it not the Lord himfelfe? But oftentimes it is ill with those that are good, and well with those that are wicked; the wicked profper many times, when it goes ill with those that feare the LORD; oftentimes it commeth to the wicked according to the worke of the righteous, and contrarily. If there be a God, what is the reason that this is come to paffe? It is certaine, that whenfoever any wicked man doth an evill act,and a good man doth well and ferveth the Lord with a perfe& heart, that there is a fentence of good and evill goes with it, but GoD doth often fufpend the reward to the godly,and the punishment to the wicked; the execution of them is deferred. Befides, we are often mistaken; for that which we thinke to be ill to us, is many times for our good; and that which wee thinke is very happie and profperous, may be hurtfull to us. As for example, when 14cob came from Laban, Gop faid to him; Bee not afraid, I am with thee, and I will doe thee good. You fee, Jacob was no fooner gone,but Laban followes him, and would have done him much hurt had not the Lord taken him off: No fooner was Lafrom him, but Efau comes against him, and when the Lord had refcued him from him when he was come neerer home, when hee might bave expected fome reft after his weary journey; yet then his daughter was ravished, and his two fonncs were rebellious,and committed murther; after that, Rachel dyed, and Deborah, Rebeccah's ban gone D Nurfe, 41 God doth his children good by croffes. Nurfe, who was a good woman, and therefore a |