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⟨or⟩ pleasure, nor which of them is good or bad for them: ⟨that⟩ there will be a day of judgment, wherein every ⟨man⟩ shall receive according to his works, and therefore ⟨it⟩ is no argument against Providence, that 'there is one ⟨event⟩ to the righteous and to the wicked.'
But it may be objected from scripture: How doth ⟨this⟩ consist with what there is declared, that 'godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is, 1 Tim. vi. 8. According to which, we ⟨find⟩ Moses and the Psalms, and the writings of ⟨Solomon⟩ and the Prophets, and in the New Testament ⟨several⟩ expressions which seem to import a promise of ⟨prosperity⟩ to the righteous.
A sufficient answer to all the places of Scripture that ⟨are⟩ alledged to that purpose, will be given in some of ⟨these⟩ three particulars.
1. Abundance of the promises usually insisted on, ⟨are⟩ made to particular persons or nations, and must not ⟨be⟩ extended farther, as promises for the performance of ⟨which⟩ God's faithfulness is engaged, though they may ⟨be⟩ applied as encouragement to hope, when there ⟨seems⟩ to be a parity or advantage of reason in the case. ⟨Many⟩ things were promised to the patriarchs, and to ⟨the⟩ captains, and judges, and kings of Israel, and to ⟨the⟩ prophets, and apostles, and they were assured that these ⟨things⟩ must happen, for which they had the security of ⟨God's⟩ word. But it would be a great extravagance for ⟨any⟩ man else to be assured of the same events by ⟨applying⟩ those promises. If a soldier be certain that he shall ⟨have⟩ victory, because it was promised to Joshua, or a ⟨sick⟩ man that he shall recover, because a prophet was ⟨sent⟩ to Hezekiah, to tell him that he should be healed, ⟨or⟩ if a passenger in a ship assure all his company of ⟨an⟩ escape with life when they are driven by a storm ⟨upon⟩ the rocks, because the angel of God was sent to tell ⟨the⟩ apostle Paul, 'God hath given thee all them that sail with thee,' Acts xvii. 27. The things may happen ⟨accordingly⟩, as the predictions of a false prophet may ⟨come⟩ to pass by chance, and then they, who use the ⟨scripture⟩ in this fashion, may talk as they please of the ⟨skill⟩ and power of faith, and what wonders it can do,
