An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

But some may say, Doth not God preserve the lives of the wicked? Is it not said (Job 7.20.) He is the preserver of men? Which indefinite seems to carry it for all men: And (Psal. 36.6.) Thou preservest man and beast. Yea, wicked men not only live, but prosper and flourish in the World, as Job complained, (Chap. 21.7.) Wherefore do the wicked live, bec•me old, yea, are mighty in power? Surely then they are preserved, and if God do not preserve them, who doth? Man hath no more power to preserve his own life, than to give himself life; how is it then that the Text saith, God doth not preserve them? or that they are out of Gods Protection?

I answer, First, It cannot be denied, but that the wicked hold their lives, and all the good things they have (possibly they have many good things) of God. But the wicked, and their live•, ⟨p. 190⟩or the lives of the wicked, are preserved only by that common Providence of God, which extends even to the Beasts of the field; they are not preserved by any special Providence or Promise of preservation made to them: their Souls are not bound in the bundle of life with the Lord their God, as Abigail assured David his should be (1 Sam. 25.29.) nor are they, as one very well expresseth it in the Language of the Prophet Isaiah (Chap. 4.3.) written (or reckoned) among the living in Jerusalem. Neither their life, nor their death, is precious in the Lords sight, as both of the meanest Saints are (Psal. 116.15.) The special Promises of preservation are made to the godly; the common Providences of preservation extend to the wicked. God preserves many wicked men, but not one of them can plead a Promise for his preservation, or say, Lord, thou hast undertaken to preserve me, I have thy Word or Warrant for my preservation. So then, the Lord doth not preserve the life of any wicked man upon a word of Promise.