71eobie£fionvrgedout ofEcclef.9.t.infwered. 173 delights and plentieofall things, Jacob like apoore pilgrime went intoa fl:angecountrie,hauing no other riches but his clothes on his back andhis flaffe in hishand,&when he was - corne amongíl his friends he indured tedious labours,& ma- ny miferies; audioDag, dwas perfecutcd,whilefi Sai fdid fit on the throne;yea our SauiourChrifl himfelfe wasarraigned at the barre and condemned, whileft Pilate and the chiefe Priefls and Phariuesfate in the feateofiuflice, ouerfwaying , all at their ovvne pleafures : andyet at the fame time, Jacob was beloued, Efsu hated ; Dauid chofen of God, Saul reie- ¿led; our SauiourChrifl the dearefonne ofhis heauenly fa..- thcr,and the enemies the inflruments and limmes of Satan... So that it is moil true that Salomonfpeaketh,namely,noman can haue aflìtrance of Godsloue &fauour by thefeoutward benefits bellowedbothvpon the godlyand wicked ; neither by his aduerfities &affliótions can gather that the Lord ha- teth him : for thefe befall all indifferently, as itpleafeth God' to punifh the reprobate,orto chaflife hisowne children. But thoughwe cangather no found argument from thefe outward thingsofGods loue, yet it followeth not thatthere is noother meanes to affure vs hereof: forby thefame reafon wee mayconclude that man is no better than brute beafls, and that there is no irnmortalitie of the foule, becaufe it is faid,Ecclef.3. i9. that the condition ofthe children ofmen Eccltf.73.r9. and thecondition of beafls is the fame. But as the Wifeman fpeaketh thereoftheir outward mortalitic alone,and not ab- folutely ih all refpeéis; and thereforehe faith that they are a- like to fee to, that is, inoutward appearance,verf.i 8. and ex- plaineth himfelfe in the words following; for (faith hee) as one dieth foo dieth the other :fohe doth notmeane herefir - plie-that there is no affuranceofGods loue, but onely in re-- fpe6t ofthefe otrward things, and therefore he addeth, that in thefe outward refpe61s all things come alike toall,and the : fame condition is to the iufl and the wicked... Though then there is no afiurance ofGods loue tobe ga thered out ofour worldly eflate, yet it cannot hencebecon- chided that ther,2fOre there is no meanes wherebywe maybe of airedhereof: for theLordBathgiuenunto. vs his wordand mcriifull
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