lìf lo ty '. 3 8 Chap. >i I. A Promife oflong Life. 10 Ccim.S. T. In regard of the evil times. 7ofiab was a good King, but the times began to be evil; 7erufilem was ere long to be deftroyed. Therefore Huldah the Prophetefs fends him word, that God would gather him to his Fathers, and that he fhould go to hisgrave in peace, andhis Eyes should not fee the evil that God would bring up- 2 Kings 22.20. on that City. God thortned his days, to free him from a further evil he being but 39, years old when hedied. Efay 57. r. 2. In regardofhimfelf; left he fhould becorrupted. The righteous is taken a- way' from the evil to Caine. It is faid that Enoch was raptor a facie malitie, taken a- way from feeing wickedncfs, left either he should have been infeled or grieved at it : and fo the pleafure of hislong-life here, would have been a difpleafure to him, by the danger ofeternal death. 2: The fecond anfwer is, to that which is fcondly. objected [ That though God takes thembut of this life in thefe refpeéts, yet the compenfation is more than e- Mark 6. 23. quivalent.] he makes them amends, and that fully. For as when Herod promifed Herodias half his Kingdom, if he had given her all, it had been no breach of pro mife in him ; fo if God give to thofe that honour their Parents vitam perpetuam, ivcilafting Life ; inflead of prolongatam a long life he performs his promife to the full, fo he that promifes ten pieces of Silver , and gives ten pieces of Gold ; and he that promifeth an Hogfhead of Beer, and giveth as much Wine, breaks not his promife. 3. But the best and molt fuflicient anfwer is this. There is no temporal thing, that Bothcadere in promiffumDei, comewithin Gods Promife further than it (hall be conducing to the life tocome : for this life is but via ad vitam, the way to the o- ther, and better life. And therefore whatfoeverGod promifeth in the way it is but as it furthereth to the end. Infima pars perfetïx felicitatk efi terrena,fcelicitts, earthly felicity is no happinefs, unlefs it difpofe us to eternal felicity ; beeaufe f as it was faid Rem. 8.28. before ) all things muff cooperari in bonum, work together for good ;. ut ita difpona- tar deminimo,quernadmodum convenitfummo,.that the lefs bleslings may be fo dilpofed, that they may agree with the chiefgood ; or at lead, ne pericalumfiat de maxinm,the greatest goodmay not be hazarded by it. And in this ref-pea it is certain, that as it is not prejudicial to the life to come, God keepeth his promife. Therefore, ( asone faith ) our lives may be ventured pro rege, lege, e5 grege, for the King, the Law, the Flock. :Sam. 25. 16, . Pro Rege, for the King. Thus when David was in danger of being [lain by 57. IJlii-benob one of thefons of the Giants. Abithai hazarded his own life to fave Da- Pfalm 44.22. yids, and fo'refeued`David, and flew the Philiflim. ode verfe 3. 2. Pro lege, for Religion. For tbyfake. (faith the Prophet) we are tiled allthe da fames 5. to, long. Contend earnestly for the common faith, faith Saint Jade. y 3. Progrege; As the Prophets were examples, fo mud we. In thefe cafes, if a man fhould be defirous of life, he may live, but if this life will prove derogatory to the life tocome. But if in the fame cafes we flsall lofe our lives, God lothnot only reward, us with vita glorie the life of glory in the other world but with vita memorie,:. we (hall have an everlafting memory and honour in this world, The-righteourfhall be had in everlafting remembrance, faith the Father, and the Pfalm 112. 6.0 meniory of the jail is blesfed, faith the Son : and men (hall fay, Praifed be the Lord Pros,. to. 7, that ever fuch a manwas born ; and fay, guomodo mortuns eft iffe ! how bravely died fuchaman? Now there are Tome reafons alío, why God prolongeth the lives of the ungodly, and though they cannct expea it by vertue of his Promife as the Godlymay for no Promife is made to the wicked. t. To give them time to repent, that they may recover themfelves out of the 2 Tins. 2.25, Mareof the Devil, as the Apoftle fpeaks. And this we fee in Saint Paul by his con.. 26; verfion, and the not -cutting off of Solomon, when he had forfaken God, and fol- lowed ftrange women, and falfe Gods, was the caufefine qua non, of his returning to God. 2. Secondly, God hath thereby arefpea to the progeny of the wicked ; If God a Kï g.21.54. hadcut off Ammon while he had been young, good Jofiab had not been born : and t6. 20. ifAhaz had not been fuffered to live, Hezekiae hadbeen loft. 3. Thirdly, God fuffers wicked men to live, that theymay beRods and Scourges. for
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=