The Third thing that there is in Gods way and course is this, It is the way of God to work by contraries, to turn the greatest evil into the greatest good. To grant great good after great evil is one thing, and to turn great evils into the greatest good that's another; and yet that's Gods way, the greatest good that God intends for his people, many times he works it out of the greatest evil; the greatest light is brought out of the greatest darkness: and Luther (I remember) hath a notable expression for this, (saith he) it is the way of God, he doth humble ⟨p. 100⟩that he might exalt, he doth kill that he might make alive, he doth confound that he might glorify; this is the way of God (saith he:) but saith saith he, Every one doth not understand this, this is the Art of Arts, and the Science of Sciences, the knowledge of knowledges to understand this, that God doth use when he will bring life, he doth bring it out of death, he brings joy out of sorrow, and he brings prosperity out of adversity, yea, and many times he brings grace out of sin, that is, makes use of sin to work furtherance of grace; it is the way of God to bring good out of evil; not only to overcome the evil, but to make the evil to work towards the good: here's the way of God: now when the soul comes to understand this, it will take away our murmuring and bring Contentment into our spirits: But I fear there are but few that understand it aright, perhaps they read of such things, and hear such things in a Sermon, but they are not by Jesus Christ instructed in this, that this is the way of God, To bring the greatest good out of the greatest evil.
The Third thing that there is in Gods way and course is this, It is the way of God to work by contraries, to turn the greatest evill into the greatest good. To grant great good after great evil is one thing, and to turn great evils into the greatest good that's another; and yet that's Gods way, the greatest good that God intends for his people, many times he works it out of the greatest evil; the greatest light is brought out of the greatest darknesse: and Luther (I remember) hath a notable expression for this, (saith he) it is the way of God, he doth humble ⟨p. 100⟩that he might exalt, he doth kill that he might make alive, he doth confound that he might glorifie; this is the way of God (saith he:) but saith saith he, Every one doth not understand this, this is the Art of Arts, and the Science of Sciences, the knowledge of knowledges to understand this, that God doth use when he will bring life, he doth bring it out of death, he brings joy out of sorrow, and he brings prosperity out of adversity, yea, and many times he brings grace out of sin, that is, makes use of sin to work furtherance of grace; it is the way of God to bring good out of evil; not only to overcome the evil, but to make the evil to work towards the good: here's the way of God: now when the soul comes to understand this, it will take away our murmuring and bring Contentment into our spirits: But I fear there are but few that understand it aright, perhaps they reade of such things, and hear such things in a Sermon, but they are not by Jesus Christ instructed in this, that this is the way of God, To bring the greatest good out of the greatest evil.
