4. Nor riches to men of understanding. Experience often verifieth this, that the learned are very poor, when lesser wits and mean people get great substance. We reail in scriptu'-e of a rich fool, Luke xii. 20, and a poor wise man, Eccles. ix. 15 ; and, in the general, that ' it is the blessing of tiie Lord maketh rich,' Pi'ov. x. 22. He is behindhand with none of his creatures ; he giveth to some wit, to others riches.
5. Nor favour to men of skill. To attain favour with men it availeth not to be skilful, that is, able and well experienced, unless God add the blessing thereunto. Suppose favour in the eyes of princes or the people. Alas ! men of no desert are ]n-omoted, as Doeg by Saul. And the populacy are carried away with slight persons, rather than those of the greatest wisdom and parts.
Secondly, Positively : hut time and chance happeaeth to them all. Hence are two things mentioned which do much befriend worldly matters —
1. Time.
2. Chance.
1. Time, whereby is meant occasion and opportunity. There is a certain time which God hath allotted to every purpose and action, which if men had the wisdom to take hold of, their business would better succeed ; ' but because man knoweth not his time, great is his misery upon earth,' therefore he etf'ecteth not the things he goeth about.
2. The next word is chance, or occurrence ; so is the word trans- lated 1 Kings V. 4, ' The Lord hath given me rest, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent ; ' it is the same word. The success is such as the counsel of God hath foreordained, yet to us it chancethi to be a mere chance and adventure. In short, that which God hath from all eternity ordained, shall and must come to pass at such a time as God hath ordained it should be, and likewise in such a manner, and by such ways and means, as he hath ordained it shall be done. Things casual to us are counsels to him. What was chance to others is the Lord to Job, chap. i. 21. Therefore not uncertain chance is intended, but such as is ruled and governed by God, who disposeth of all occa- sions and events according to his own good pleasure, either in escaping out of danger, or obtaining victory, or being supplied with necessaries, or growing rich, or received into favour ; it is all as God will order it. The swift, the wise, the strong, though they are best prepared, dis- posed, and do most intend their business, yet the event is in God's hand, who disposeth it according to His own will.
Before we draw the doctrine from hence, we shall remove the false inferences and deductions that some make.
1. Some think these words to be spoken in the person of the epicure or atheist, whom Solomon introduceth as reasoning against divine pro- vidence ; but it agreeth not with the preface, ' I returned, and saw under the sun ; ' which is usually prefixed before his observations about the vanity and vexation that ariseth from mere worldly things.
2. This text must be vindicated from them who set up an idol of the heathens' blind fortune, as if all things were carried by uncertain chance. No ; it is occurrence (as before) ; and though it be chance to men, it is providence to God, the universal and first agent, who
1 Qu. ' seemetli ' ?— Ed.
318 TUE FOURTEENTH SERMON. [EcCLES. IX. ] 1.
' worketli all things according to the counsel of his will.' It is not chance to him, for he never inisseth of his end, for his knowledge is infallihle and his power insuperable,
3. From those who reject the use of means, and all operations, dispositions, and preparations of second causes, as if they moved not, and God did not act or move by them. No ; this a false deduction and inference both in naturals and spirituals.
[1.] In naturals, for God worketh by means, and by means prepared : Hosea ii. 21, 22, ' I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth,' &c. There is a train of causes governed and influenced by God. The second causes have their operation, but they are under the govern- ment of the first, who worketh by them, and also suspendeth their operations at his pleasure. There are two extremes : one of Durandus, that God giveth second causes only power to work of themselves, and doth only continue this power to them, but not work with them. But this is false ; for all things depend on God, not only for their being, but working : Acts xvii. 28, ' In him we live, move, and have our being,' The other is, that the creature hath no operation at all, that the first cause doth only work ad prcsentiam creaturcv, by the presence of the second. But this is also against the wisdom of God ; for if the second causes did no way concur to the producing of their effects, then they are made in vain, and used for such an end in vain.
[2.] Nor in .spirituals : Phil. ii. 12, 13, 'Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his own good pleasure.' God's working is an engagement to us to wait upon him in the use of means, that we may meet with God in his way, and God may meet with us in our way. In his way ; for God hath appointed certain duties to convey and apply his grace to us ; we are to lie at the pool till the waters be stirred, to continue our attendance till God giveth his grace, Mark iv. 24. In our way ; for God influenceth all things according to their natural inclination. God, that enlighteneth with and by the sun, burneth with and by the fire, reasonetii with and by man, acts necessarily with necessary causes, and freely with free causes. He doth not oppress the liberty of the creature, but preserveth the nature and interest of his own workman- ship: Ho.sea xi. 4, ' I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love.' He draweth by propounding reasons, which we consider, and so betake ourselves to a godly life. In short, we must do what we can, otherwise we are wanting to ourselves ; but wo nmst not depend upon our own counsel, wisdom, and strength, for the event is not always to the swift, strong, and wise.