Sa c T. XI[. of Elfe Iu41 Calling. dt3 with godlinefs and falvation. laiian objetied ageingChriftianst That the pre, cepts of Chriflianity, and of Civil Government, were cleanoppofre to one another : No fuchmatter ; noneof thofeenumerated excellencies are of them- felves contrary to godlinefs. Fire therefore, We read ofgodly Governors, godly rich men, godly noble r men, not onely inthe OldTeflament, for that is very evident, but in the New, as lafephof Arimathea, Nicademus, the two Centurions Paulus a Proconful, Theophilus anobleman, towhom Lukededicated his Hieory, as mofljudge, and lob's writes to theeleft Lady:fo thattheApoflle doth not fay,Noneofthefe, Bur nor ma 'sy, viz, Comparatively to thofe of the meaner fort that are called: ndeed, of the twelve Apoftles, there was not oneof themwife after theflefh, or mighty and noble ; for that is a Fabulous tradition concerning Bartholomew, thathe wasborn ofRoyal blood, and went in his purple arid jewels every day; the Evangelifts imply the contrary. Secondly, It muff alto beconfelled, That the outwardgood things of this life; z. arefe far from beingcontradiElory to godlinefs , that godlineJr only path the pro- mileof them How oftendid God promife Ifrael, That if they Woulddiligently keephis Commandments, TheyJhould conquer their enemies, OneJlpuldchafe a thou- , fond, They Jboaldbe the head, andnot the tail; and Abraham/in that great pro- mileGodmade tohim, there was not onely promifed a numerous pofferity,like the lands of the fea fhore ; but allo, that Kings and Princes fhould come out of his loyns; and thus it holds for other worldly comforts. Godlinefsbath the promifeof this life; and the Apoftle makes an unanfwerable argument, If he bathgiven us Chrifl, howJballhe not with himgivens all thingselfe : Thus we cannot inliance inany temporalgood thing, but in oneplace or other there is a promife madeof it to the godly. And ifyou fay, Why then are not the godly poffeffedof thefe things? *by have not thegodly all the greatnefs and glory of the World, feeing they are heirs to it by the pro- mife ? 1 Anfwer, We muff not take thole promifes Tingle, but compare them with ,bitµ;, other Texts, that do alto tell usof themifery and trouble that the godly rhall have : Now there places are not contrary one to another, one promifeth all good, the other doth forerel of muchevil ; for diele things arenot tobean_ derltood abfolutely, but conditionally : So far as there things are furthrengof their maingood, and are nothindringof their everlafting welfare, fo far they are lure to bemade partakers of them ; but when they cannothave thefe and Chrift allo, when they roue either lofe thefe or heaven, then no wonder if God, out of his love, give them not thofe,things which prove hurtful unto them. A father will promife to give hischilde meatand drink, but ifhis childe, fall into a difeafe, that there things will increafe his difeafe, then out of his love be keeps thefe things from him. Thirdly, When God dothcall any of thewife men, and great men, andno- ble men of the wot d, They become eminent infirumenes of hisglory; they are a' worth ten thoufandof thole that are in an inferior way,' for theydo not one Iv credit the Goípel, as the Gofpel doth them, and as they honor God, fo God honors them ; they lofe nothing of their greatnefs, by havinggoodnefs but they by their power, by theirwealth and interefl they have inthe world, may greatlyadvance the ways of God. What Reformations did the godly Kings and Magiftrates bringabout in the Kingdom of Iudah? How did Con fiantine byhis power and greatnefs, arile like a Sun, that difpelled the dark night of Idolatry and Paganifm? and therefore fuch are compared to:Nurfing, fathers, and 'turfing mothers. Temporal power, when fanetified forthe ufeof the Church, is like the Elm that beareth up the vine: Oh then, its an happy time, when great men, are good men;: whenmen of power, aremen ofgodli- eefs, And thusanmenof wealth and skates, how many ways may they be lerviceable
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