YET hath God his ways and means to deliver the righteous in the forementioned cases, and all other cases whatsoever. As
1. By visible preservations of them from external judgements: as mEbbed melech was preserved.
2. By ntaking them from the evil to come: This was before exemplified in good Josiah.
3. By ordering the judgement so, as it proves a means to them to honour God the more: and to do more good to such as are better prepared to accept the good which they do. Thus was oEzekiel carried away to Babel in the first captivity, that he might prophesy in Babylon to the Jews there, pwho were counted good figs in comparison of the Jews that were at Jerusalem, who were as evil figs.
4. By making the judgement a means of their peace, honour, and external prosperity in this world. Thus the captivity of qDaniel, and his three companions; and of qEsther Mordecai and was a means of higher honour and greater advancement, then they could in all probable conjectures ⟨p. 20⟩have attained unto in their own land. They were also thereby special instruments of doing much good to the Church: and their names by that means are more honourable to this day in the Church of God.
5. By taking them by an external judgement from earth 7to heaven, where they live being dead: yea by making the judgement a means to free them from eternal damnation. Of such as by some extraordinary judgement died (for its said of them, smany sleep) the Apostle saith, twhen we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Blessed be that sword, though it be the sword of a mortal enemy, that openeth a passage in the body for the soul to enter into heaven. And blessed be that sickness, though it be the Plague, that thrusteth the soul out of the bodies prison, to celestial glory and eternal life. So as in their sufferings they have their comforts and hope of eternal life. Thus we see how judgements in the forementioned kinds prove blessings: and how the Saints that seem to perish in them may justly and truly say, We had perished, if we had not perished: even more justly then he 10that so said to his children, by reason of great honour and wealth that he attained unto in a strange country, being banished out of his own.
YET hath God his wayes and meanes to deliver the righteous in the forementioned cases, and all other cases whatsoever. As
1. By visible preservations of them from externall judgements: as mEbed melech was preserved.
2. By ntaking them from the evill to come: This was before exemplified in good Iosiah.
3. By ordering the judgement so, as it proves a meanes to them to honour God the more: and to do more good to such as are better prepared to accept the good which they doe. Thus was oEzekiel caried away to Babel in the first captivity, that he might prophesie in Babylon to the Iewes there, pwho were counted good figs in comparison of the Iewes that were at Ierusalem, who were as evill figs.
4. By making the judgement a meanes of their peace, honour, and externall prosperity in this world. Thus the captivity of qDaniel, and his three companions; and of qEsther Mordecai and was a meanes of higher honour and greater advancement, then they could in all probable conjectures ⟨p. 20⟩have attained unto in their owneland. They were also thereby speciall instruments of doing much good to the Church: and their names by that meanes are more honourable to this day in the Church of God.
5. By taking them by an externall judgement from earth 7to heaven, where they live being dead: yea by making the judgement a meanes to free them from eternall damnation. Of such as by some extraordinary judgement died (for its said of them, smany sleepe) the Apostle saith, twhen we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Blessed be that sword, though it be the sword of a mortall enemie, that openeth a passage in the body for the soule to enter into heaven. And blessed be that sicknesse, though it be the Plague, that thrusteth the soule out of the bodies prison, to celestiall glory and eternall life. So as in their sufferings they have their comforts and hope of eternall life. Thus we see how judgements in the forementioned kinds prove blessings: and how the Saints that seeme to perish in them may justly and truly say, We had perished, if we had not perished: even more justly then he
- mJer. 39. 17.Ier. 39. 17.
- nIsa. 57. 1.
- oEzek. 1. 1.
- pIcr. 24. 5.
- qDan. 2. 48, 49
- qEst. 2. 17.—6. 10.
- 7Justi vivant etiam quando corpore moriuntur. Aug. cont Adversar. I. eg•s & Prophet. lib 2. cap. 5.Iusti vivant etiam quando corpore moriuntur. Aug. cont Adversar. I. eg•s & Prophet. lib 2. cap. 5.
- s1 Cor 11. 30.
- t—32. Sancti qui mala temporalia patiuntur, habent suas consolations, & spem futuri seculi. Aug Epist 122. ad Victorian.—32. Sancti qui mala temporalia patiuntur, habent suas consolationes, & spem futuri seculi. Aug Epist 122. ad Victorian.
- 10Themistecles sic fisijs suis. A [Greek or Hebrew]. Plutarchus in vitâ Themist.Themistecles sic fisijs suis. A 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Plutarchus in vitâ Themist.
