Sermons preached

Now two things in our Reflection upon Providence perplex us.

1. One is, That things are promiscuously dispensed to good and bad Men; yea many times the good are Afflicted, and the bad are Advanced. To this he speaketh in the beginning of the Chapter, where he showeth that all outward things are dispensed without any great difference. Josiah died in the War, and so did Ahab. Is Abraham rich? so is Nabal. Is Solomon wise? so is Ahithophel. Is Joseph honoured by Pharaoh? so is Doeg by Saul. Had Isaac long life? Gen. 36. 20. so had Ishmael, Gen. 25. 17.

1. One is, That things are promiscuously dispensed to good and bad Men; yea many times the good are Afflicted, and the bad are Advanced. To this he speaketh in the beginning of the Chapter, where he sheweth that all outward things are dispensed without any great difference. Iosiah died in the War, and so did Ahab. Is Abraham rich? so is Nabal. Is Solomon wise? so is Aihitophel. Is Ioseph honoured by Pharooh? so is Doeg by Saul. Had Isaac long life? Gen. 36. 20. so had Ishmael, Gen. 25. 17.

2. The other perplexity is, that Events and Successes do fall out otherwise, than the Preparation and Ability of second causes do seem to promise; as Holiness, and Unholiness, do not make the difference: so the natural Ability and Inability of Man, the Wisdom and Folly, the Strength and Weakness make no difference as to their Worldly Condition. Men of greatest Abilities are disappointed of their Hopes and Ends, which weak and insufficient Men do many times obtain. Now this is asserted in the Text, I returned and saw, &c.