' God put into their hearts to give up their kingdoms to the beast.'
Here, first of all, from this ariseth, GocVs special providence i)i ill. In the greatest evil that can be, there is his special providence apparent : ' God put into their hearts to give up their kingdoms to the beast.' Observe here many acts of his providence, the withdrawing of his grace, the giving them up to Satan, and to ill occasions ; the presenting them with good occa- sions, which, meeting with an ill disposition, makes them worse ; for good occasions meeting with an ill disposition makes it worse, makes it rage the more, as the stopping of a torrent makes it rage and swell the more ; as also the limitation of all this, ' until his word shall be fulfilled.' Thus in this work, heaven, and earth, and hell meet in one action. Thus it was in that great action of the crucifying of our blessed Saviour. There is the action of God in giving his Son to be a sweet sacrifice, and the action of Judas, and the devil in him, betraying of Christ, and the action of the soldiers in crucifying him. Saint Augustine, in the unfolding of this point, of the providence of God in evil, observes how many may concur in one action, God without blame, man without excuse (e). God without blame ; he finds men ill, and leaves men deserving to be left ; he takes away his grace, and as a judge gives men up to Satan. Man without excuse, because
521 THE beast's dominion
man works willingly : ' They with one consent gave up their kingdoms to the heast.' That is the first.
The second is this, that the iriU of Dian may be swayed by divine gover- nance, and yet notirithstanding work most willingly and freely.
Here God puts into their hearts to do this, and yet they willingly and with one consent gave their crowns to the beast.
God iirst hath his providence in ill, and then that providence is such that it doth not rob man of his liberty, because God finding man in an ill course, he forceth him not to this or that particular ill, but directs him only : ' The hearts of kings are in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of waters,' Prov. xxi. 1. A man when he findeth a river of water, he doth not make the stream, but only makes way that it may run this or that way, as it pleaseth him. So God finding the hearts of kings, or the hearts of any, as the rivers of water, he opens vent that they should run this and not that way; that they should be given to this, and not to that. Here is the action of God, and yet the free liberty of man.
But how could this be free, when they could not avoid it ?
I answer. They were not privy to God's directing ; they worked not in conscience - of God's moving, but they followed their own lusts and will. Between God's work and man's will there is always sin. God never works immediately in man's will ; for man's will is free, but man's sinful free will is the next cause in sin. Although God put it into their hearts, yet he found them sinfully disposed.
And then, the judgment is not bound or tied. The hearts of these kings told them that they might give their crowns or not give them to the beast. Their judgment saw they had reason to do it, though their judgment were corrupt. So a sinner sees reason to do this or that, and although it be corrupt reason, yet it moves him at that time. His judgment is not bound up, but God lets his judgment be free, though he take away his heavenly light, and so he judges perversely. That is the second.
The third is, that it is a terrible judgment of God to be given up to a man's own rrill, to leave a man to his own consents.
It is here spoken by way of judgment, that ' God put it into their hearts to give up their kingdoms to the beast,' And indeed so it is a terrible judgment.
There are some objections to be taken away for the clearing of this weighty point.
How is it a judgment or a punishment when it is voluntary ? ' They willingly gave up theii* kingdoms.'
I answer, The more voluntary and free a man is in sin, the more and greater the judgment is ; and as when sin is more restrained, either inwardly by the Spirit, and by the conscience, or outwardly by the laws and terror, the more mercifully God deals with men. So the more free the current of the disposition runs in ill ways, the more wretched a man is.
Yea, but will the heart of some atheistical person presently say, "What punishment is it, as long as I have liberty in evil, and meet with no hindrance in my courses, and feel no harm, but rather the contrary, as many that get their riches by ill means, and those great papists, those great usurpers, we see what estates they get to themselves ?
I answer. Spiritual judgments are so much the greater, by how much they are less sensible, because if they be not sensible to us here, they will be the more sensible to us hereafter. And those that have their will most * That is, ' consciousuess.' — Ed.