§. 101. Of proſperitie: how farre forth it may be a bleſſing. to 3. Queſt.

§. 101. Of proſperitie: how farre forth it may be a bleſſing.

For further clearing of this text, and for better application thereof, I will reſolue ſundrie queſtions ariſing out of it, and gather ſuch profitable inſtructions as it affordeth.

The promiſe conſiſteth of two branches.

The firſt branch (that it may be well with thee) is very ample and large: all good things, all manner of bleſſings whatſoeuer, ſpirituall and temporall, belonging to ſoule and body, concerning this life, and the life to come, make to a mans wellbeing. Whence may firſt be demanded;

1. Quſt. What may be the extent of this phraſe in this place?

Anſw. It may generally be extended to all manner of good things. For Godlineſſe hath promiſe of the life that now is and of

that that is to come. But (as I take it) temporall proſperitie is here principally intended: and that for theſe reaſons.

1. It is ioyned with long life, which is a temporall bleſsing.

2. The laſt word (on earth) may be referred to this branch of well-being, as well as to the other of long life.

3. In the Law (from whence this clauſe is taken) it is expreſly ſet downe, thus, that it may goe well with thee in the

land, &c.

2. Queſt. Is then outward temporall proſperitie (as honour, health, peace, libertie, goods, &c.) a token of Gods loue and fauour?

Anſw. Yea: in it ſelfe it is a bleſsing, and fruit of Gods loue: as appeareth by theſe reaſons.

1. As at firſt it was made and ordained of God, it is a good thing.

2. It tendeth to mans good, if it be rightly vſed.

3. It was beſtowed on man before he had offended.

4. It is promiſed of God as a reward to them that feare him and keepe his Commandements.

5. The Saints haue prayed for it, and haue beene thankfull for it.

6. The contrarie was firſt inflicted as a puniſhment of ſinne, and is oft threatned as a token of Gods wrath, and ſo hath alſo beene inflicted on tranſgreſſors.

§. 102. Of proſperitie beſtowed on the wicked, how it proues a curſe.

3. Queſt. Why then is it beſtowed vpon the wicked, euen ſuch as are haters of God, and are hated of him? And why are Gods friends, ſuch as are loued of him, and loue him againe, depriued thereof? This ſore ſcruple made Dauid ſtumble, and moued other Prophets to complaine. But the anſwer is readie.

Anſw. Outward proſperitie is of that nature, as it may turne to the good or hurt of him that enioyeth it. And herein is Gods admirable and vnſearchable wiſdome ſeene, in that he is able to turne bleſſings into curſes, and curſes into bleſſings. He can worke by contraries.

4. Queſt. How is proſperitie a curſe to the wicked?

Anſw. By meere conſequence, through their abuſe of it. God giues it to them to ſhew the riches of his mercie: and that all may taſte thereof, he doth good to the euill and the good. Beſides, he thus trieth if by any meanes they may be brought to repentance: which gift becauſe they haue not, their proſperitie proueth to be a meanes to make them the more inexcuſable, and the more to increaſe their iuſt condemnation. For the more Gods bleſsings abound towards them, the more they abuſe them, adding to all their other ſinnes, that moſt odious ſinne of ingratitude, which maketh vp the heape of all. And in theſe reſpects I may ſay of the proſperitie of the wicked, as the Prophet of their King, God giues it in his anger, and takes it away in

his wrath. For by their abuſe thereof, it proueth Satans bait to allure them, his ſnare to catch them, and his hooke to drowne them in perdition and deſtruction. In a word therefore, the wicked are fed in a faire paſture like oxen appointed to the ſlaughter: they are exalted on high, as on a ladder or ſcaffold, like theeues and traytors, to be brought downe with ſhame and deſtruction, as Pharaohs Baker was lift vp.

5. Queſt. How is the inioying, or wanting of proſperitie a bleſſing to the righteous?

Anſw. God in wiſdome knowing what is beſt for them accordingly deales with them, he beſtoweth proſperitie on them ſo farre as he ſeeth it will turne vnto their good: and denieth it to them ſo farre as he ſeeth it will turne to their hurt. Whenſoeuer therefore God beſtoweth any temporall bleſſing on his Saints, it is a token of his favour: and whenſoeuer he denieth any, the very deniall is alſo a fruit of his fauour. Herein is it verified that All things worke together for good to them

that loue God, ſo as, if they abound, it ſhall goe well with them: if they want, it ſhall goe well with them: if they be in high place, it ſhall goe well with them: if in meane place, it ſhall got well with them: if they be at libertie, if in priſon: if they be in health, if ſicke: in what eſtate ſoeuer, it ſhall goe well with them.

6. Queſt. How is it then that Saints are oft brought to ſuch

extermities that they are forced to complaine that it is very ill with them?

Anſw. There is fleſh and bloud in them, by reaſon of the weakneſſe whereof they are forced to complaine: but the preſent apprehenſion of weake fleſh, is not ſufficient to impeach the truth of Gods promiſe: they conſider not in their preſent extremitie what is Gods minde, what his manner of dealing with them, how needfull it is that ſo they ſhould be dealt withall, what end and iſſue the Lord will giue: in truth it is better with them then they wot of. Some weightie reaſons there be which moue God to bring them to that extremitie wherein they are, and thoſe reſpecting his owne glorie, or the edification of others, or their owne good, as curing ſome dangerous diſeaſe, manifeſting the grace of God beſtowed vpon them, drawing them neerer to God, making them long the more for heauen, with the like.

1. Queſt. Is long-life a bleſſing?

Anſw. Yea, elſe would not God here and in other places haue promiſed it as a reward, nor haue beſtowed it on his Saints.

The reaſons to proue it to be a bleſſing may be drawne to three heads. 1. Gods glorie. 2. the good of the Church where they liue. 3. their owne good.

1. Gods glorie is much aduanced by the long life of the Saints: for the longer they liue the more they doe themſelues obſerue Gods wonderfull workes, and the more they doe make them knowne and declare them to others. But in the graue all is forgotten.

2. Gods Church is greatly edified thereby: in which reſpect the Apoſtle ſaith, to abide in the fleſh is more needfull for

you: In the Saints that is true which Elihu ſaith ſhould be, namely that daies ſpeake, and multitude of yeeres teach wiſdome. The longer the Saints liue, the more good they doe: but after death they doe none: when the night commeth no man can worke:

vpon which ground the Apoſtle exhorteth to doe good while we haue time.

3. The Saints by long liuing purchaſe to themſelues great honour, and dignitie among Gods people, and a ſtrong ſtedfaſt confidence in God. Men regard a good old ſeruant: much more will God. Two ſtrong props haue old Saints to eſtabliſh them, and make them bold: one is a remembrance of Gods former fauours, whereby their hope of eternall life is made more ſure vnto them: another is a kinde of preſent expectation of the accompliſhment of Gods promiſes which they haue long waited for.

By this it appeares that this particular promiſe is no light matter, of ſmall moment: but a ſtrong motiue to ſtirre vp children to obedience.

2. Queſt.

Why then is long life giuen to many wicked ones? and why are many Saints cut off?

Anſw. Long life is of the ſame kinde that proſperitie is: it may be turned to a curſe, as well as proue a bleſſing.

The wicked by liuing long on earth make their ſins grow to the full (as is implied of the Amorite) they make their name to ſtinke the more on earth, as a carion the longer it remaineth aboue ground the more it ſtinketh: and they cauſe the greater torment in hell to be inflicted vpon them: for as ſinne is increaſed, ſo ſhall that torment be increaſed.

The righteous haue their daies ſhortned for their good, when they are ſhortned, and that in theſe, and ſuch like reſpects

• 1. That they may be taken from the euill to come.

• 2. That they might be made an example to others.

• 3. That by a temporall death eternall condemnation might be auoided.

• 4. That their chiefeſt and greateſt reward might be haſtened.

§. 106. Of limiting the promiſes of temporall bleſſings.

Thus we ſee there may be iuſt cauſe to alter, as the former branch of this promiſe, proſperitie, ſo the latter branch of it, long-life, and yet no wrong thereby redound to the righteous, nor benefit to the wicked.

3. Queſt.

Is not the truth of the promiſe impeached thereby?

Anſw. No whit at all. For firſt all promiſes of temporall bleſſings are limited with ſuch a condition as this, if the performance of it may ſtand with Gods honour, and the good of the partie to whom it is made. 2. God doth neuer ſimply depriue his Saints of that which is promiſed, but only in ſtead of it giueth a better: as in taking away wealth, he giueth the more ſtore of grace: in reſtraining liberty of body, he giueth freedome of conſcience: with affliction he giueth patience: by taking away this temporall life, he giueth eternall life. God herein dealeth, as if one who hauing promiſed ſo much iron, ſhould in ſtead thereof giue as much ſiluer: or for ſiluer giue gold: and ſo for one pound giue the worth of hundreds or thouſands.