2. That cross issues and punishments, as well as benefits and pros- perous successes, come all of God : Isa. xlv. 7, ' I form the light, and create darkness ; I make peace, and create evil : I, the Lord, do all these tilings.' AH evils of punishment come from God, as well as the blessings of providence ; and without tliis principle we could neither be thankful for the one nor humble under the other. We look upon it as a piece of atheism and irreligiousness if we be not thankful for benefits ; it is as great an evil if we be not humble under punishments. We count him a profane man that should thank his dungcart for his good crop ; and doth not he as much deny providence that in all his afflictions looketh only to instruments, and not to the hand of God ? that rageth against men, but doth not take notice of the will of his heavenly Father ? It is very notable, Jonah iv. 6, 7, that God first prepared a gourd to shelter Jonah from the scorching heat of the sun, and then prepared a worm tliat smote the gourd, and deprived him of that comfort and benefit. He that gave us the delight in any natural comfort doth also take it from us. The same hand must be owned in giving and taking, or else we shall not prevent atheism. He that created the gourd created the worm ; and he that governed the gourd, and made it a refreshing shadow from the heat of the sun, he governed the worm to eat out the root and life of the gourd. As Christ here saith, not the Jews or pharisees provided this bitter cup for him, but the Father, fficnmenius, an ancient Greek writer on the scripture, in his comment on the Acts of the Apostles, telleth us that once a great plague invaded the city of Athens, and miserably desolated it, which also other histories testify ; the citizens being almost consumed, ran to the image of Jupiter with sacrifices, vows, and prayers, to save them from the pestilence, but Jupiter could not do it ; then to Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, and other gods, but still in vain, for the plague daily increased, and was more mortal and deadly. And when this was considered in the court of the Areopagites, a wise man among them said, Without doubt these gods known to us did not send this pestilence, because upon our prayers and supplications to them they cannot take it away ; there may be some other god unknown to us who sent it, and who alone can cause it to cease, therefore he is to be sought unto, an altar erected to him, and sacrifices and intercessions offered to him, to take away this plague from us. And this writer thinketh that this was the original of that altar which Paul saw with this inscription, ' To the un- known God,' Acts xvii. 23. I have brought this account to show you that all evil is sent by God, and his hand must be acknowledged in it, or else religion will fall to the ground. \Vhen the disciples were terrified
SERMON UPON JOHN XVIII. 11. 7
in a great storm, Christ cometh walking upon tlie waters, and telleth them, ' Be of good cheer, it is I ; be not afraid,' Mark vi. 50. They thought it was a spectre, but Christ saith, * It is I.' In short, the author of all the annoyances and afflictions that befalleth us in this life is God, their end is repentance, their cause is sin ; and this well thought of will silence all our murmurings.
II. That it is a great advantage to patience when we can consider him not as an angry judge, but as a gracious father. The cup which Christ drank off was very bitter, and yet he saith, ' The cup which my Father hath given me.' Now every one cannot apply this comfort, for many are not so much as in a visible relation to God, and others that visibly live in his family yet are not owned and acknowledged by him as his dear children, rather counted bastards than sons, as the apostle speaketh, Heb. xii. 7, 8, ' If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons ; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not ? But if ye be without chastisements, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.' Not legitimate, but degenerate children. Others have a special relation to God, such as is between father and children : 2 Cor. vi. 18, ' I will be unto you a Father, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.' These have an interest in his dearest love, and a right to his choicest benefits ; and they shall know it by his fatherly dealing with them. Now to such this comfort properly belongeth ; for though God may punish and afflict others, j^et he cannot be said to chastise them as a father, but as an angry judge he doth punish them for their offences and rebellions. Therefore, if you would apply this comfort, you must clear up your interest, enter into covenant with him, and sincerely believe in Christ, and devote yourselves to him, that he may be your God and Father. But because being and seeing are two things, and many that are the children of God may not know themselves to be so, therefore I shall — (1.) State this matter ; (2.) Show what an advantage it is to patience.