pofed to be by the Disputers against Providence & Yet must we grant, that not only fometimes, but very often it is, and in all Ages hath been fo. On this very Suppofition the defign of this Parable is founded. The Wicked Man here is a Rich Man, who hath a great deal more than enough. And the Good Man is very Poor, and wants of his own whereon to Live. The Former is fuppofed to live in Health, and to have fo ftrong a Conftitution of Body, as to rejoice in his Wealth, and to hold out in all his Excefs and Intemperance; and the Good Man is as deftitute of Health, as of Riches; and had a Body as full of Sores, as his Purfe was empty of Money, or his Belly of Meat. Probable it is alfo, that the Rich Man was had in Honour, and greatly reverenc'd by his poorer Neighbours; that he had great Acquaintance, and many Vifitants, who were his frequent Guests, making merry with him, and praifing, with much flattery, his Hofpitality, and Noble way of Living; and magnifying his fumptuous Fare; whilft Good Lazarus lay difregarded, fcorn'd, and defpis'd by almost every one, as a vile and defpicable Creature, not fit to be taken Notice of, or vouchfafed a pitiful look by them that pafs'd in and out through the Rich Man's Gate. The poor is hated even of his Neighbour, but the Rich bath many Friends. Prov. 14. 20. All the Brethren of the Poor do hate him, bow much more do his Friends go far from him? He purfueth them with Words, but they are wanting to him. Prov. 19. 7.8.

Thus it often comes to pass at this day, and thus it hath been in all Ages of the World. Righteous Abel could not by his Righteousness efcape, but for it fell a Sacrifice to the Envy and Hatred of his wicked Brother Cain. And this is a

thing which the Devil hath taught the World to make a very ill ufe of, both for the hardening of the profperous Sinner in his Wickedness, and for the weakening the Faith of good Men in their Afflictions; of tempting fome to deny the Providence and Righteous Government of God, and even very good Men, at fometimes, to doubt of it. Because they, that is, the Wicked, who live in a conftant Profperity, have no changes, therefore they fear not God, Pfal. 55. 19. Let favour be fhew'n to the Wicked, yet will be not learn Righteousness, in the Land of uprightness will be deal unjustly, and will not behold the Majefty of the Lord. Ifai. 26. 10. Becaufe Sentence against an evil Work is not speedily executed, therefore the Heart of the Sons of Men is fully Jet in them to do Evil. Eccl. 8. 11. Because Moab had been at eafe from his Youth, and he hath fettled on bis Lees, and hath not been emptied from Veffel to Veffel, neither hath be gone into Captivity; therefore his Tafte remain'd in him, and his Scent is not chang'd. Jer. 48. 11. Thefe Things haft thou done, and I kept filence, (faith God to the Wicked) Thou thought'ft that I was altogether fuch an one as thy Self. Pfal. 50. 21. They are not in trouble as other Men, neither are they plagu'd like other Men; therefore Pride compaffeth them about as a Chain, Violence covereth them as a Garment. Their Eyes Stand out with fatnefs, they have more than Heart could wish. They are corrupt, and Speak wickedly, concerning Oppreffion, they speak loftily. They fet their Mouth against the Heavens, they fay, How doth God know? And is there Knowledge in the most High? Behold thefe are the Ungodly, that profper in the World, they increase in Riches. Pfal 73.4. &c. Thus the thriving Sinner encourageth himself in his profperous Wickedness, and grows daring

enough

enongh to deny the Providence of God. They flay the Widow and the Stranger, and murder the Fatherless; yet they fay, the LORD doth not fee it, neither hall the God of Jacob regard it. Pfal. 94. 6,7. He bath faid in his Heart, God hath forgotten, be bideth bis Face, he will never fee it. Pfal. 10. 11. Behold they belch out with their Mouths, Swords are in their Lips, for who (fay they) doth bear? Pfal. 59.7. They encourage themfelves in an evil Matter, they commune of laying Snares privily, they fay, who shall fee them? Pfal. 64. 5. Eliphaz underftood well enough all this, when he charged holy fob with it. Thou fay ft (faith he to that good Man) How doth God know? And can be judge through the dark Cloud? Thick Clouds are a covering to him, that he feeth not, and he walketh in the Circuit of Heaven. Job. 22. 13, 14. Because the Wicked profper, They fay unto God, Depart from us, for we defire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty that we should ferve him, and what Profit Jhall we have if we pray unto him? Job 21.

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And not only the Wicked, but even good Men, have been fometimes tempted to think hardly of God. Holy Fob feems to have been a little difturbed in his mind on this account. Wherefore do the Wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? Their Seed is Establish'd in their fight with them, and their Off-Spring before their Eyes. Their Houfes are fafe from fear, neither is the Rod of God upon them. Their Bull gendereth and faileth not; their Cow calveth, and casteth not her Calf. They fend forth their little ones like a Fleck, and their Children dance. They take theTimbrel and Harp, and rejoice at the found of the Organ. They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the

Grave, Job 21. 7. My Soul is weary of my Life, Job 10.1.Is it good for thee, that thou shouldst oppress that thou shouldft defpife the Work of thine hands, and fhine upon the counsel of the wicked, v. 3. Wherefore (faith Jeremy) doth the way of the wicked profper? Wherefore are all they happy that deal very treache rously? Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root; they grow; yea, they bring forth Fruit, thou art near in their Mouth, but far from their Reins. Jer. 12. 1. The devout Pfalmift confeffeth his own weakness in this cafe. Pfal. 73. 2. As for me, my Feet were almost gone, my Steps had well nigh flipped. For I was envious at the Foolish, when I faw the Profperity of the Wicked. And v. 13: he cries out, Ve rily I have cleans'd my Heart in vain, and washed my Hands in Innocence. For all the Day long have I been plagued, and chaftened every Morning. Thus alfo the Prophet Habakkuk, C. 1. 13. Seeing God fo profpered the Idolatrous Chaldeans against Ifrael, expoftulates with God. Wherefore lookeft thou upon them that deal treacherously, and boldest thy Tongue, when the Wicked devoureth the Man that is more righteous than he? And makest Men as the Fishes of the Sea, as the creeping Things that have no Ruler over them? They take up all with the Angle, they catch them in their Net, and gather them in their Drag, therefore they rejoice, and are glad. Therefore they facrifice to their Net, and burn incenfe unto their Drag, because by them their Portion is fat, and their Meat plenteous. And fo again, Job. Job. 12.6. The Tabernacles of the Robbers profper, and they that provoke God are fecure, into whofe Hand God bringeth abundantly. To the Jews this was a mighty temptation always, and is to this day. Mal. 2. 17. Ye fay, every one that doth evil is good in the fight of the Lord; and be delighteth in them:

or where is the God of Judgment? And Ch. 3. 14. Te have faid, It is vain to ferve God, and what •profit is it that we have kept his Ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hefts? And now we call the Proud happy, and they that work Wickedness are fet up, yea, they that tempt God, are even delivered.

What now fhall we fay to all this? Shall we deny what the holy Scripture, as well as Reafon, doth affert as ftrongly, as that there is a God, That God governs the World in righteoufnefs; and that only because there be fome things in God's Government, whereof we know not the reafon? Can God do nothing becoming his Divine Wifdom and Goodness, but what we must needs have underftanding enough clearly to comprehend, and to give a rational account of, fuch as fhall fatisfy all pretenders to reafon? Certainly the Works of God, as well as his Nature, may be too myfterious for our fhort Understandings to dive into the bottom of; and he may be wife, and righteous, tho' his Judgments to us are wonderful, and his ways paft finding out. He may have very good Reafons for what he doth, tho' we have not the Wit to difcern them. However, what Abraham here minds the Rich Man of, is enough of it felf to answer all that can be on this account objected against the good Providence of God. But now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. All the time of Life was the time of Service. Now, that is, after Death is the time of rewarding. Now in this Life we are but Sowing, then in the other Life we muft Reap. We are here but Pilgrims, and Travellers, and Seekers; then, after Death hath called us hence fhall we be at Home, at Reft, and in poffeffion of what we feek. Here we are ProbatiL

oners