The Balance of the Sanctuary

p. 1CHAP. 1. An Introduction to the Discourse of the Doctrine handled in the Treatise.

MAny men beholding the prosperity of the vngodly, and the enemies of the Gospell, and perceiuing with what violence and crueltie, they oppresse those that fight for and striue to defend the truth, are thereby more hardned, and become p. 2crueller, euen in the highest degree. And some of them thereupon take occasion, with the foole, to say in their hearts, There is no God, Psal. 14. 1. Making account that those who most trust and relie vpon God, are least regarded of God: others take occasion to murmur against God, because he ruleth not, neither directeth things here on earth, according to their wills and desires, and with the Israelites, say in their hearts; The way of the Lord is not equall, Ezech. 18. 25. And others there are who begin thereupon to suspect and call in question, the truth of Gods word, yea, to forsake it, to reiect it, and to cleaue vnto lies; saying with Gedeon, though in another sence, If the Lord be with vs, why then is all this befallen vs, Iudg. 6. 13. Therein doing, and yet they will be esteemed Christians, like certaine blind Indians whereof we read, who when at any time they are ouerthrowne and destroyed by their enemies, are wont to pray vnto and call vpon the Sunne for pardon and forgiuenesse, and to acknowledge the cause of their proceedings to be vniust.

And all this hapneth vnto these blind men by the iust iudgement of God, because they refuse to take paynes, and to spend some time to read and looke into Gods booke, which he himselfe hath made, touching the proceedings and course that he hath determined to vse & hold with the Children of men here on earth. For if they had done so, they should soone see and know, That there is not any thing done here in the world, nor that happneth vnto the people of God, which God p. 3himselfe hath not foreshewed should come to passe, and which with his owne hand long before he set downe in the seuerall Register of those things that are to fall out in the world, that when they come to passe, wee might know and vnderstand that he had foretold it vnto vs, Deut. 31. 19. Iere. 16. 4. Therefore in all such accidents and occasions we must with the Psalmist goe into the Sanctuary of God, Psal. 73. 17. that in the true Ballance of the Sanctuary, which is Gods word, diligently pondering and examining all the tribulations, troubles, and miseries that happen to Gods people, wee may truely iudge and aright conceiue therof, and so we may continue sincere and without offence till the day of Christ, Phillip. 1. 10. For it is written, Great peace haue they which loue thy Law, and nothing shall offend them, Psal. 119. 165. And this in the Treatise following, wee will endeuour so to declare, that whosoeuer he bee that readeth and marketh the same with a true and vpright heart, he may surely & effectually find that to be true which the Prophet witnesseth, where he sayth, that the wayes of the Lord are right, and the iust shall walke in them, but the transgressors shall fall therein, Hos. 14. 9.

p. 4CHAP. II. That the outward and externall euents of this life happen and fall out almost, and in a manner alike both vnto the godly and vngodly.

SALOMON sayth, all things come alike to all, there is one euent to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good and to the cleane, and to the vncleane, to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not, as is the good so is the sinner, and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath, Eccl. 9. 2. And to the same end where the Scripture in one place sayth, many sorrowes shall be to the wicked, Psal. 32. 10. in another place it sayth, many are the afflictions of the righteous, Psal. 34. 19. This Iob alledged to his friends, who therewith concluded vpon and by the miseries and troubles that had hapned vnto him, that he was hated of God; Arguing that wee cannot truely iudge of the good will and fauour of God towards men here on earth, nor yet of their state in regard of God, by that which hapneth vnto them in this transitorie world, because that the Lord as Elihu acknowledgeth, giueth no account of any of his matters, Iob 33. 13. and dealeth most wonderfully with the children of men, sometime in one manner, sometime in another, obseruing no certaine methode: and yet doth all thinges righteously; yet as it is testified vnto vs that it fareth with the righteous euen as with the wicked, p. 5and with the sinner as the godly man: so it is not to bee vnderstood, as if euery godly, and euery vngodly man should haue alwaies one and the same portion and state of weale and woe heere in this world; for that many godly men heere on earth are subiect to great afflictions, and many godlesse men liue in abundance of pleasures; and so on the contrarie: But the meaning thereof is this, that weale and woe shall not onely bee incident to the wicked crew, or vnto the little number of the godly, but that prosperitie and aduersitie, may both of them be fonnd to happen, and to be giuen, both vnto the vngodly wheresoeuer they bee, and the like againe to the righteous, wheresoeuer they remaine: which both the word of God, and experience teacheth vs to bee true: for in the word of God, doe wee not finde a righteous Abraham, and an vngodly Nabal, and both of them were rich; A righteous Lazarus, and an vngodly sort of men, Iob 30. 1. 2. 3. 4. that were poore, yea beggars. Againe, are wee not taught this by experience? goe into the tents of Sem, looke into the houses of the righteous; there you shall finde some in prosperitie, and some in aduersitie: one house rich, another miserable. Goe into the tents of Kedar, looke into the houses of the vngodly, and you shall finde them in the like manner. All these things the Lord doth according to his free will and mightie power, and dealeth with the children of men, according to the absolute, vnlimitted, and soueraigne pleasure of his will.