THE PRIVILEGES OF THE FAITHFUL. 271
tlieir happiness, are accursed ; whereas the godly, in the midst of their miseries, are blessed.
This doctrine is a ground of understanding divers other places of Scrip- ture, as Ps. xci. 3, the Lord promiseth that he will ' deliver his from the snare of the hunter, and from the noisome pestilence ;' and yet ofttimes his dear servants are in the hands of the wicked, and taken away by the stroke of his judgments, this truth nevertheless remaining firm, that ' all worketh together for their best.' So God teacheth us in his word that he doth make a league between his servants and the creatures. But all such expressions of his love we must bring to this text, and then they are true, else they may seem to be false. * The plague shall not come near thy dwelling-place,' Ps. xci. 10, but only so far forth as it is for thy benefit. The good prophet was torn in pieces by a lion, 1 Kings xiii. 24 ; and sundry holy men have received hurt by wild beasts, whose eternal welfare were furthered thereby. Therefore this phrase of Scripture, that ' the creatures are in league,' is to be understood, not that they have put ofi" their hostile nature, but that they have the same issue as those that are at peace with us.
Here likewise is a direction for us Iww to pray for earthit/ hle.mngs, and the removal of temporal judgments. Oftentimes worldly honours and riches are snares unto God's children, and temporal chastisements, which we so earnestly pray against, work much good unto us. And therefore it falleth out that when we pray against temporal calamities, we pray against our own good.
Being therefore afilicted, we should desire not absolutely that God would remove our troubles, but that he would work his own good pleasure upon us thereby. Our prayers for temporal blessings and removal of temporal crosses must always be conditional ; for what good will it be for us to como out of the fire worse than we were when we went into it ? If, therefore, God in his wisdom see it good for us to have aflliction, we should not desire him absolutely to remove the same till it have done us good. And then, ' Lord, deal with us as seems best in thine own eyes.'
As for such as affect- neither God nor goodness, let them know that if all things work for the best to the saints, then they may forbear their successless endeavours which they daily enterprise against them. In going about to hurt the godly they do them most good, for God will benefit them by their malice. Their wicked practices shall not only be made frustrate, but dangerous to themselves. After the chastisement of his servants for their good, God will cast the rod into the fire. Men may know whether they are ' vessels of mercy ' or no by the use they are put to. The basest of people are fit enough to be executioners. It is a miserable wisdom when men are wise to work their own ruin. Do not many spin a fine thread and ■weave a fair web, when by their turnings and devices they turn themselves into hell ? Whatever we get by sin for the present, it will one day prove the heaviest business that ever we undertook.
God is the only monarch of the world, and makes all things and persons whatsoever serviceable to his own end and his church's good. He is higher than the highest. Satan with all his instruments are but slaves to the Almighty, executioners of his will. Can we think that God's children, who are so near and dear to him, shall always be trampled upon by the powers of darkness. 'No, certainly. He is interessedf in all their quarrels, and takes their injui'ies as done to himself. When we can be more subtile than the devil, or more strong than God, we may think to thrive against them. He ♦ That is, ' choose,' ' love.' — G. f That is, ' interested.' — G.
272 THE rniVILEGKS of the FAITIIl-'UL.
is a ' wall of firo ' round about liis church, not only to defend and preserve it, but to cousume all the adversaries thereof. God doth j:;reat matters for his servants ; he rebukes kinj^s and princes, and ruinates empires for their sakcs. For the bringing homo back again of the Jews, he translated tho Babylonish empire to the Persians ; and therefore tho wicked must take heed of attempting anything against God's church : because the harm thereof will redound upon their own heads. God delights to take the oppressed party's'* part, and serves himself of all his enemies for his people's good. They practise against the righteous, and ho ' laughs them to scorn.' Wicked men cannot do God's children a greater pleasure than to oppose them ; for by this means they help exceedingly to advance them.
Satan and all his instruments, what get they by their cruelty to the saints ? They do but increase their own torment, and do them the more good. But this is both against their knowledge and wills. Therefore if they be loath to do them any good, let them take beed how they attempt any evil against them.