WHen we were now come to the place where we were to be Landed, least the Boat should be carried away by the Stream before we could step Ashore, the Owner of it reach’d out his long Pole, and by means of the Crook, taking fast hold of the Bank, he drew the Pole towards him with all his might, and thereby brought the Boat to Shore. This endeavour of the VVater-man’s, and the effect of it, inviting Eusebius to smile a little, gave me the Curiosity, as soon as we were Landed, to enquire why he did so: It is almost as ordinary, (answers Eusebius) for Men to think themselves wiser than God, as ‘tis impossible for them really to be so. Those that study nothing but to obtain their Ends, and that scruple at nothing they judge conducive to them, do oftentimes lay their designs and plots with so much Artifice and Subtilty, that they do not doubt, that, whatever may become of Gods designs, and of his promises, and threats, those which themselves have laid so Politickly cannot but succed. And even pious and well-meaning Persons, that have the opportunity to discern the Politick ways that these Men take to compass their Ends, are oftentimes tempted to needless Fears, that Divine providence will be puzzl’d and distress’d by them; and to think, that for Reasons secret, though just, Providence may be put by these Mens craft to play an after-game in the VVorld to come. But in such cases, it often fares with these grand Designers, as it did just now with our VVater-man: He had fastened his Grapling-Iron to the Shore, and putting to his utmost strength, did so forcibly endeavour to draw it towards him, that one, that did not know that the Shore was fixt, might expect this Lusty Fellows endeavours capable to put into Motion whatever he so forcibly drew towards him: But the Shore being fixt, and immoveable, instead of making that come to him, his very strainings drew him and his Boat to that. Thus the contrivers of the proud Pile of Babel, whereby they meant (not, as most imagine, to secure themselves against a second Flood; the Text being silent as to that Aim, and a Plain being a very improper place for such a purpose, but) to make themselves a Name, and prevent Dispersion. These ambitious Contrivers, who had laid their Plot so hopefully, that they had engag’d no less than Mankind, and who probably had Designs as rais’d as their intended Fabrick, since those Expressions of him, that knew their Hearts,1 (And this they begin to do, and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do) seem’d me-thinks to warrant my Conjecturing, that those had designs very aspiring, that intended but to make a Rise to their soaring flight of a Tower, whose Top should reach unto Heaven. But the Policy of these ambitious Builders being contrary to the charitable decree of God, to have the Earth Peopl’d, he made use of that very conspiracy, that brought them together, to effect that which they conspir’d to prevent; so, that now the remotest Parts of the Inhabited World are but the Colonies of Babel, whose scattered Architects have indeed made themselves a Name, but upon a quite contrary Account than they intended or expected. Thus the Purblind envy of Joseph’s Brethren, having made them resolve to prevent his future Dreams of Superiority over them, made them think, that by Selling him for a Slave, they had taken sufficient Order he should never come to be their Master. And yet we see, that Joseph’s being sold into Egypt, was made use of by the wise Orderer of humane Affairs, to make him in effect Lord of that rich and populous Kingdome; and thereby, of his envious Brethren, Pharoah’s Dreams having advantageously made him amends for the hardships his own had expos’d him to. So the proud Favourite of Ahasuerus questionless thought he could scarce miss his Ends, when, by the Counsel of his Friends, and, as he fondly thought, of his Gods too, he provided for Mordecai that fatal Gibbet, which probably he might have escap’d, if he had not erected it. Thus the High Priest and Sanhedrin of the Jews, seem’d to Act with much Policy, though no Justice, when they resolv’d upon the Death of our Saviour, least, as the Gospel tells us, the Romans should come and Destroy their Temple, and Nation, which whether indeed it did not rather procure than divert the coming of the Romans, the Church-History can inform you. Nay, the Old Serpent himself, that Arch-politician, that was the Instructer of those others I have been naming, even in his chiefest Master-piece, found himself the most Over-match’d by him, to whom the Scripture ascribes the taking of the VVise in their own Craftiness. For questionless, he highly applauded his own Subtilty, and seem’d to have taken the directest and most prosperous way to his impious Ends, that could be devis’d, when, having made Herod and Pilate Friends upon such tearms, that the Lamb of God should be the Victim of their new Confederacy, he had engag’d both Jews and Gentiles in a ruinous and tragick Conspiracy to Kill the Prince of Life, and by that unparallel’d Crime at once destroy the Divels chief Enemy, and make God theirs: And yet the Event has sufficiently manifested, that the Apostle might well affirm, that Christ by his Death destroy’d him that had the Empire of Death, the Divel, and that Satan’s Kingdome never receiv’d so deadly a Wound, as that which pierc’d our Crucify’d Saviour’s side. VVherefore in short, (concludes Eusebius) the Decrees of Providence are too solid and fixt to have Violence offered them by humane Attempts, how specious soever they be; and those that think to bring God to their Bent, will find at long Running, that they have to do with One, whose Power and Wisdome are so Over-ruling, that not only he can frustrate their utmost endeavours, but make those very endeavours frustrate themselves, and employ Mens subtilest Policies to accomplish those very things they were design’d to defeat.
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Footnotes
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Genes. 11. v. 6. ↩