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

For though that text saith, He establisheth them, yet it is not to be understood that God doth so establish righteous men in their places, that they can never be put out of them, or so exalt them, that they shall never be pulled down; that text showeth what God can do, he can exalt them so, that they shall not be removed for ever, and he often exalts them so, but he doth not so always; for the outward estates of good men may have as great changes, as the outward estate of wicked men have: they may come from thrones to prisons, and from chains of gold to fetters of Iron. There have been many such changes as to the things of the world, even to those that are not of the world; And as Heathen Princes and Kings have often found such changes, so also did several of the Kings of Judah, they were brought from the throne to the prison. Zedekiah and Jeconiah and Manasseh, had such sad changes; when they highly provoked God, they came from their Thrones to the prison, from a Crown to the cords of affliction; yea this hath been the lot of many other righteous men exalted, they have been brought to the prison, and laid very low in this world. Solomon saith of one, (Eccles. 4.14.) Out of prison he cometh to reign, and of another he saith in the same verse, He also that is borne in his Kingdom becometh poor; such vicissitudes and revolutions come over the heads of the children of men, yea good men are not exempted from such changes and revolutions. Therefore be ⟨p. 223⟩not offended if at any time you see good men in chains and fetters, in a condition of great affliction.

For though that text saith, He establisheth them, yet it is not to be understood that God doth so establish righteous men in their places, that they can never be put out of them, or so exalt them, that they shall never be pulled down; that text sheweth what God can do, he can exalt them so, that they shall not be removed for ever, and he often exalts them so, but he doth not so alwayes; for the outward estates of good men may have as great changes, as the outward estate of wicked men have: they may come from thrones to prisons, and from chaines of gold to fetters of Iron. There have been many such changes as to the things of the world, even to those that are not of the world; And as Heathen Princes and Kings have often found such changes, so also did several of the Kings of Judah, they were brought from the throne to the prison. Zedekiah and Jeckoniah and Manasseh, had such sad changes; when they highly provoked God, they came from their Thrones to the prison, from a Crown to the cords of affliction; yea this hath been the lot of many other righteous men exalted, they have been brought to the prison, and laid very low in this world. Solomon saith of one, (