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NOw let us prove the point de ju∣re, as well as de facto, that the Lord may take from us what he plea∣seth.
I. He may do it without crossing his Justice: The Lord is righteous in all his wayes, and holy in all his works, Psa. 145.17. Clouds and darkness are round about him; righteousness and
judgement, are the habitation of his Throne, Psa. 97.2. Or, as it may be translated, are the foundation of his Throne: his Seat of Judgement is composed of, and founded in righteous∣ness; whatsoever he takes away from us, he acteth by Rule, his Throne is upon Judgement and Righteousness; God is infinitely righteous, it is impos∣sible for God to do iniquity; how un∣just soever his wayes seem to us to be, yet they are most just; he is the Su∣preme Lord of all his creatures, and may do with them what he pleaseth, as the Potter with the clay: all acts that God doth, are acts of his will, and whatsoever he willeth, is exceeding just. This is a received Axiome a∣mong Divines: Ʋoluntas Dei est sum∣ma perfectissima, & infallibilis Regula divinae justitiae, & Deus sibi ipsi lex est. The Will of God is the chiefest, the most perfect and infallible Rule of Di∣vine Justice, and God is a Law to him∣self; no losses, no crosses that befall us, but do proceed from him who is most just and righteous; therefore we must not murmure at God, when he takes our goods or houses from us, as if he dealt unrighteously with us; but if we
ponder with our selves what we have deserved, we may behold abundance of mercy toward us under our greatest los∣ses, and his sharpest corrections. Per∣adventure, thou art in some great pain in some part or member of thy body, but tell me, dost thou not deserve to burn in hell, and to feel the scorching pains of the damned? if such an easie disease doth so torment thee here, think then with thy self how thou couldst lie in everlasting torments? if the pain of one worm-eaten tooth doth so fearfully vex thee day and night, that it almost driveth thee to madness, think then that thou deservest to be tormented for ever with that fearful Worm of Conscience? Thou canst not brook the sight of such a person, nor endure the company of such a man who hath done thee wrong; but tell me then how thou wouldest be able to endure the company of all the damned, yet even this also thou dost deserve: thy sharpest sufferings here are sweet▪ if compared with hell tor∣ments: Perhaps thy house is burnt, thy goods are consumed by the flame, thou hast lost thy husband, thy wife, thy children, thy friends, thy estate: but tell me, dost thou not deserve it, and
much more, even to lose thy God, thy Saviour, thy soul, thy treasure in heaven, everlasting glory and blessed∣ness? Therefore under all thy losses and sufferings; let God have the glory of his Justice, and say with Mauriti∣us the Emperour, Justus es Domine, & justasunt judicia tua. Righteous art thou O Lord, and just are all thy judge∣ments: Or as Daniel, To thee, O Lord, belongeth righteousnes•••• but unto us confusion of face: Say thou, I am unrighteous, thou art righteous; I am a sinner, thou art just.
II. God may take from his crea∣tures what he pleaseth, without crossing his goodness or mercy: his mercy is free, it is not due to any, he hath mercy on whom he will, therefore he may take away what he will from any: it is a mercy that God hath left any good thing in the possession of sinful man, who might have stript us of all; and when he doth a little consume us, it is his mercies that we are not utterly con∣sumed.* 1.1 S. Augustine well weigheth the words of S. James: Behold we count them blessed which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have known what end the Lord made. They
should not therefore, saith he, suffer the loss of their goods, in hope to re∣ceive their goods again, as Job did; for his wounds and rottenness made him whole, and all those things which he had lost were doubly restored to him. That therefore we should not, when we suffer temporal losses, expect or look for such a remuneration, he saith not, ye have heard of the patience and end of Job, but he saith, ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen what end the Lord made; as if he had said, Endure the greatest losses as Job; but for this your enduring do not expect the restitution which Job had of temporal goods, but rather of a more enduring substance laid up in heaven for you.
III. God may take away what he pleaseth from us, without crossing his truth and faithfulness: For
1. Gods promises by which he en∣gageth to us in these outward things, are conditional; and what man living is able to say, that he doth so exactly perform his conditions, that God can∣not take any thing from him without breach of promise? who among us hath performed the conditions of the
promises? your in quities have with∣held good things from you, saith the Prophet: So I may say, your iniqui∣ties have taken good things from you: We have either failed in our duty, or we have been unthankful for what we received from God, or we were not wise Stewards of Gods blessings, or we waxed proud and wanton,* 1.2 and forgat God the giver of our blessings, there∣fore God hath turn'd us out of all, or the greatest part of those good things he gave us, as a chastisement of our sins, and negligence in our duties: Could we make good the condition of the promises, we should still find God making good all the promises of this life to us: Assuredly, saith Calvin, if we were fit and meet to receive Gods benefits, he would open his hand, and deal more liberally with us: There∣fore when God takes away your goods, your wealth and substance, search and try your wayes, and you will find your iniquities to be the cause, and then you will see little ground to blame God for unfaithfulness in his promises: for albeit abundance of out∣ward things be promised to the godly, yet if we are deficient in our duty, he
may either with-hold or take away those good things promised; for these things are promised upon condition of our hearkening diligently to the voice of the Lord our God, to observe and do all his Commandments, Deut. 28.1, 2.
2. God may take what he will from the wicked, without crossing his truth, because they have no interest in Christ and his promises; the promises are all yea and Amen in Christ, but the wicked can claim no interest in the promises, because they have no interest in Christ; and if God leave them any good thing, it is more than he promised them; if he take away their children, and leave them health, it is more than he promi∣sed them; if he takes away health and wealth, and give them only their lives, if he cast them not into hell it self, it is more than he promised them.
IV. When God takes away health, wealth, goods, liberties, outward com∣forts, from his own people, he hath made up all their losses afore-hand; he hath given himself, an infinite God, to be their portion; nay, he that takes these outward things from them, will give them a kingdome, and that Will make
up all their losses, and therefore he may take away all other things. See how God speaks to Abraham, Gen. 15. 1. Fear not Abraham, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. Had Abraham left his native Country, his Kindred, all save one Lot, and was he also gone from him to dwell in Sodome? was Abraham now as one alone among strangers, among Idolaters and Athe∣ists, and those the most execrable in the world, the very brood of Cham, the Father of Canaan, a people de∣voted to destruction, having four hun∣dred years given them to fill up the measure of their sins, and yet hath A∣braham no cause to fear? no saith the Lord to him, Fear not Abraham: The Majesty of God is pleased to stoop so low, as in love to give a reason hereof to Abraham, and one, that Abraham must needs say, was very sufficient: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward: which is more full, than if God had said, I will shield thee, and reward thee, though that had been enough; but God promiseth himself as a shield to him, and so assureth him of an infinite protection; yea, he giveth himself as a reward to him, an exceeding great re∣ward.
What cause then hath Abra∣ham to fear? Fear no dangers, nor e∣nemies, for I am thy shield; fear no wants, nor losses, for I my self am thy reward. Are any dangers so great, any enemies so strong, that I cannot shield thee against them? who am ready to cover thee with my wings, and defend thee against all the wicked of the world, and against all the legions of hell? canst thou be undone by any losses, or be sunk by any wants, when I my self am thy exceeding great reward? Hast thou the possessor of heaven and earth in thy possession? and hast thou cause to fear any wants? if the earth cannot supply thee, heaven shall; if neither heaven nor earth can, yet I will, who am the Lord of heaven and earth, I my self am thy exceeding great reward, So Gen. 17▪ 7, 8. I wil establish my covenant between me & thee, & thy seed after thee in their generations, for an everlasting covenant to be a God to thee, and unto thy seed after thee. He doth not say, only to be a help∣er to thee, or a friend to thee, but to be a God to thee; I will give myself to thee; as I am essentially God, so I will be a God to thee, thou shalt have me for thy own; those that are in Cove∣nant
with God, they are in possession of an infinite good, and they have him in everlasting possession.
August.
Certè si beneficio∣rum Dei essemus capaces, liberaliùs nobiscum ageret De∣us. Cal∣vin.