Secondly;1 The Lord doth it to spare mankind; for if the LORD should punish presently,2 men should perish from the earth. And therefore he doth in this case, as Generals are wont to do with their Soldiers, when there is a general fault committed, they cast lots and pick out two, or three, and put them to death, that the whole Army may be saved; So the Lord doth, he takes here and there one, whom it may be, he follows with open and great judgements for open sins; But for others again, the generality, he suffers and lets them alone, because he would spare mankind. This reason I find used,3 Gen. 6. 3. the Lord said there, when he was about to destroy man from the earth, My spirit shall no longer strive with man, for he is but flesh: That is, if I should continually deal with men, as I do now, if I should take them, and sweep them away with the Besom of destruction, as I do these, there would remain no flesh upon the earth; and therefore, saith he, I will not strive with them, but bear with them patiently, though their sins are great and many. ⟨p. 52⟩Again;4 the Lord doth it, that he might keep from us the events of things;5 It is his good pleasure to reserve them to himself, and therefore he goes not in a constant course. When men sin, he doth not presently punish, neither when a man doth well, doth he presently reward him, that is, he goes not in one tract, as it were, but sometimes he doth the one, and sometimes the other, promiscuously; and for this end, saith the Wise man, he hath made this contrary to that, that no man might find any thing after him: That is, that he might leave no foot-steps behind him; (as we have that phrase used,6 Rom. 11. 33. How unsearchable are thy ways, and thy Judgements past finding out.) The word in the original signifieth, that when God goeth, he leaves no vestigia, no print behind him, so that a man cannot say, he will go this way, he goes it not so oft, as to make a path of it; I speak of these particular things, he doth not so dispense good, and evil, punishment, or rewards, that a man can say, the Lord will do this. And the reason of this is, because future things, the event of things, it is his good pleasure to keep to himself; as he saith Act. 1. 7.
Secondly;1 The Lord doth it to spare mankinde; for if the LORD should punish presently,2 men should perish from the earth. And therefore he doth in this case, as Generals are wont to do with their Souldiers, when there is a generall fault committed, they cast lots and picke out two, or three, and put them to death, that the whole Armie may be saved; So the Lord doth, he takes here and there one, whom it may be, he followes with open and great judgements for open sinnes; But for others againe, the generalitie, he suffers and lets them alone, because he would spare mankind. This reason I finde vsed,3 Gen. 6. 3. the Lord sayd there, when he was about to destroy man from the earth, My spirit shall no longer striue with man, for he is but flesh: That is, if I should continually deale with men, as I doe now, if I should take them, and sweepe them away with the Besome of destruction, as I doe these, there would remaine no flesh vpon the earth; and therefore, sayth he, I will not striue with them, but beare with them patiently, though their sinnes are great and many. ⟨p. 52⟩Againe;4 the Lord doth it, that he might keepe from vs the events of things;5 It is his good pleasure to reserue them to himselfe, and therefore he goes not in a constant course. When men sinne, he doth not presently punish, neither when a man doth well, doth he presently reward him, that is, he goes not in one tract, as it were, but sometimes he doth the one, and sometimes the other, promiscuously; and for this end, sayth the Wiseman, he hath made this contrarie to that, that no man might finde any thing after him: That is, that he might leaue no foot-steps behinde him; (as we haue that phrase vsed,6 Rom. 11. 33. How vnsearchable are thy wayes, and thy Iudgements past finding out.) The word in the originall signifieth, that when God goeth, he leaues no vestigia, no print behinde him, so that a man cannot say, he will goe this way, he goes it not so oft, as to make a path of it; I speake of these particular things, he doth not so dispence good, and evill, punishment, or rewards, that a man can say, the Lord will doe this. And the reason of this is, because future things, the event of things, it is his good pleasure to keepe to himselfe; as he sayth
- 1Reas. 2.
- 2Tospare men.
- 3Gen. 6. 3.
- 4Reas. 3.
- 5To hide events from men.
- 6Rom. 11. 33.
