Stephen Gardiner^ that burnt so many of God's dear servants to ashes^ was himself so scorched up by a terrible inflammation, that his very tongue was black, and hung out of his mouth ; and, in dreadful torments, ended his wretched days.
Maximinus, that cruel emperor, who set forth his proclama-
If we examine the history of the world, from the beginning of it dowa to our limes, we shall meet with remarkable instances of God's judgment upon ainneWj xilsted, Xat. The^l. p. 196.
\S58 DIVINE CONDUCT ; OR,
tion, engraven in brass, for the utter abolishing of the Christian ^religion was speedily smitten, like Herod, with a dreadful judg- ment; swarms of lice preying upon his entrails, and causing sUch a stench, that his physicians could not endure to .come nigh him, and, for refusing it, were slain. Hundreds of like instances might easily be produced, to confirm this observation. And who can but see by these things, that " verily there is a God that judgeth in the « earth ?^'
Yea, so exact have been the retr'ibutioiis of providence to the enemies of the church, that not only the same persons, but the same members tliat have been the mstrtiments o£ mischief, have been made the subjects of wrath.
The same arm wliich Jeroboam stretched out to smite the Pro- |>het, God smites. The emperor Aurelian, when he was ready to subscribe the edict for the persecution of the Christians, was sud- denly crampt in his knuckles, that he could not write*.
Mr. Greenhill, in his exposition upon Ezek. xi. 13. tells his au- ditory, that there was one then present in the congregation, who was an eye-witness of a woman scoffing at another for purity and holy walking, who had her tongue stricken immediately with the palsy, and died thereof within two days.
Henry the second of France, in a great rage against a Protestant counsellor, committed him to the hands of one of his nobles, to be imprisoned ; and that with these words, that ?ie would see him burnt tvith his own eyes : but mark the righteous providence of God ! within a few days after, the same nobleman, with a lance put into his hands by the king, did, at a tilting' match, run the said king into one of bis eyes, whereof he died.
Yea, providence hath made the very place of sinning the place of punishment ; 1 Kings xxi. 19. " In the place where the dogs *^ licked the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick thy blood :"" and it was exactly fulfilled, 2 Kings ix. 26. Thus Tophet is made a burying place for the Jews, until there is no room to bury ; and that was the place where they had offered up their sons to Moloch, Jer. vii. SI, 32. The story of Nightingale is generally known, which Mr. Fox relates, how he fell out of the pulpit, and brake fiis neck whilst he was abusing that scripture, 1 John i. 10.
And thus the scriptures are made good b}^ providence, " Whoso <« diggeth a pit shall fall therein ; and he that rolleth a stone, it " shall return upon him," Prov. xxvi. ST. and Mat. vii. S. " With ^^ what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again."
Objection. If any yet say. These things may fall out casually: that
• Eiiseb, I. 7. cap. 29.
THE MYSTERY OF PIIOVIDEXCE. »359
tnnmj thousands of the church's enemies have died in peace, and their end been like that of other men.
Solution. We answer with Augustine ; If no sin were punished here, no providence would be believed ; and if every sin should be punished here, no judgment would be expected. But that none may think these events to be merely casual and accidental, we yet farther demand.
If these things be merely casual, How is it that they square and agree so exactly with the scriptures in all particulars ?
We read, Amos iii. 3. " Can two walk together except they be " agreed ?" If two men travel in one road, it is hkely they are agreed to go to the same place. Providences and scriptures go all one way : and if they seem at any time to go divers or contrary ways, be sure they will meet at the journey's end : there is an agreement betwixt them so to do.
Doth God miraculously suspend the power of natural causes, as in ihe first demand was opened ? Why, this is no accidental thing, but what harmonizeth with the word ; Isa. xliii. 2. " When thou " passest through the waters I will be with thee ; and through the " rivers, they shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through " the fire thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flame kindle " upon thee."
Do natural causes unite and associate themselves for the good of God's people ? W^hy, this is no more than what is contained in the promises, and is but the fulfilling of that scripture, 1 Cor. iii. 22. " All is yours, for ye are Christ's ;" i. e. the use, benefit, and service of all the creatures are for you, as your need shall re^ quire.
Are the most apt and powerful means employed for their ruin frustrated ? Who can but see the scriptures fulfilled in, and ex- pounded by such providences ? See Isa. xlv. 15, 16, 17. and viiL 7, 8, 9, 10. expounded by 2 Kings xviii. 17, et seq.
See you at any time a rub of providence diverting the course of good men from falling into evil, or wicked men from committing evil : how loudly do such providences proclaim the truth and cer- tainty of the scriptures, which tell us, " That the way of man is " not in himself, neither is it in him that walks to direct his steps ?* Jcr. X. 23. and that in Prov. xvi. 9. " A man'a heart deviseth his ** way ; but the Lord directeth his steps."
Do you see adequate retributions made to those that injure or befriend the people of God ? Why, when you see all the kindness and love they have shewn the saints, returiied with an overplus into their bosoms ? How is it possible but you must see the accoiii'^
360 DIVIKE CONDUCT ; Olt,
plisbment of those scriptures in such providences, Isa. xxxii. 8. 2 Cor. ix. 6. "The Uberal soul deviseth Hberal things, and by Hberal '^ things he shall stand."*'
And when you see the evils men have done, or intended to do to the Lord's people, recoiling upon themselves; he is perfectly blind that sees not the harmony such providences bear with these scriptures, Psal. cxl. 11, 12. and vii. 14, 15, 16. and ix. 16.
O what exact proportions do providences and scriptures hold ! Little do men take notice of it. Why did Cyrus, contrary to all rules of state-policy, freely dismiss the captives, but to fulfil that scripture, Isa. xlv. 13. So that it was well observed by one. That as God hath stretched out the expajisum or firmament over the na- tural, so he hath stretched out his word over the rational world. And as the creatures on earth are influenced by those heavenly bodies, so are all creatures in the world influenced by the word, and do infallibly fulfil it when they design to cross it,
If these things be contingent, Hoxv is it that they fall out in suck remarkable nicks and junctures oftime, which makes them so greatly observable to all that consider them.