God's soveraignty displayed from Job 9. 12. : Behold he taketh away, who can hinder him? &c., or, A discourse shewing, that God doth, and may take away from his creatures what hee pleaseth, as to the matter what, the place where, the time when, the means and manner how, and the reasons thereof : with an application of the whole, to the distressed citizens of London, whose houses and goods were lately consumed by the fire : an excitation of them to look to the procuring causes of this fiery tryal, the ends that God aims at in it, with directions how to behave themselves under their losses / by William Gearing ...

CHAP. III.

II. GOd takes away what he plea∣seth, in respect of the place where: So Jobs Children were taken from him when they were feasting in their Elder Brothers house, a place seemingly of great security. Naomi lost her Husband and her two Sons in a strange Land; when she sojourned in Moab, she was left a childless Widow in a strange Country, therefore, saith she, Call me not Naomi, but Marah, for I went out full, but the Lord hath brought me home again empty, Ruth 1.21. So Jacob had his beloved Rachel taken away from him on a journey, as they were travelling in the way.

III. In respect of the time when; Nebuchadnezzar lost the use of his reason, when he was in the height of his glory, walking in his stately Palace of Babel, Dan. 4.30. being puffed up with

pride: Is not this great Babylon that I have built by the might of my power, and for the honour of my Majesty; and while the word was yet in his mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, to thee it is spoken, the Kingdome is de∣parted from thee, and the same hour was it fulfilled upon him. So the rich man in the Gospel had his soul taken from him, even then when he promised himself many years enjoyment of his wealth.

IV. The Lord taketh away by what means and instruments, and in what manner he pleaseth: Job's Oxen and Asses were taken away by the Sabe∣ans, his Camels by the Chaldeans, his sheep burnt by fire from heaven, his children slain by the fall of an house, yet in conclusion Job doth not say, The Lord hath given, and the Chaldeans and Sabeans have taken, but the Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken: Now God is said to take away, when In∣struments do take away; it is seldome that God dealeth with a people imme∣diately, but in these outward Provi∣dences he stirreth up Instruments to do what is done; but that which Instru∣ments do, the Lord is said to do, Isai.

42.24. Who gave Jacob to the spoiler, and Israel to the robber, did not I the Lord? Men robbed and spoiled them, yet it was the Lords act to send these spoilers upon them; the Act is from the Lord, though the wickedness of the act be from the evil instruments. There are many wayes that God useth to take men away; some die with the Pestilence, and such like contagious dis∣eases; some die by the Sword; one is consumed with famine, another is killed with thirst; some are choaked in wa∣ters, others consumed by fire; some are torn with the teeth of Beasts, o∣thers are taken away by poyson, and so by many means the miserable life of man is finished.