( 4 )
in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men,' Psalm lxxiii 3. 5.
He was ready to conclude, that he had been a good man to no purpose, 'Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence. For all the day long I have been plagued, and chastened every morning' verse 13, 14.
They were tempted to a profane misbelief; ⟨their⟩ thoughts were discomposed, for a little while, but ⟨presently⟩ settled again; as appears in the process of the discourses, in which they recover into the way of ⟨reasoning⟩ aright concerning these things, and answer ⟨their⟩ own objections.
Solomon calls this an evil under the sun, that there is one event unto all:' Eccles ix. 3. Not that he ⟨either⟩ doubts of, or blames God's Providence, but the great ⟨evil⟩ spoken of is the evil of men's foolish construction ⟨and⟩ false consequence, mentioned in the words following 'Yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil and madness is in their heart while they live' This seems to be the same effect of the same cause, which plainly ⟨is⟩ described, Eccl. viii II., Because sentence gainst an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set to evil.'
But whatever those men, who would by all means ⟨discharge⟩ themselves of the fear of God, may be ⟨forward⟩ to infer from this uncertainty of events, either that ⟨there⟩ is no Providence, or, that God is unconcerned ⟨whether⟩ men be just or unjust; it will appear, when the ⟨whole⟩ matter is laid together, that their inference is rash ⟨and⟩ ill-grounded; that reason, as well as religion, is ⟨against⟩ them; but this order in the government of the ⟨world⟩ is necessary to the wisdom, and consistent with the ⟨justice⟩ of God, and with his goodness too, and with ⟨David's⟩ testimony concerning him, Psalm. xi 7 'The righteous Lord loveth righteousness, his countenance doth behold the upright.'
There ⟨is indeed⟩ very often one event of health ⟨and sickness, wealth⟩ and poverty, peace and war, victory ⟨and defeat, to the righteous⟩ and to the wicked, of ⟨which⟩ common ⟨observation is⟩ proof enough, without the au-
