This question, “why evil men often prosper, and good men suffer adversity,” has been much disputed by the ancient, and is the same with this of ours, “by what right God dispenseth the prosperities and adversities of this life”; and is of that difficulty, as it hath shaken the faith not only of the vulgar, but of philosophers, and which is more, of the saints, concerning the Divine Providence. “How good,” saith David (Psalm 73:1⁠–⁠3) “is the God of Israel to those that are upright in heart; and yet my feet were almost gone, my treadings had well-nigh slipt: for I was grieved at the wicked, when I saw the ungodly in such prosperity.” And Job, how earnestly does he expostulate with God for the many afflictions he suffered, notwithstanding his righteousness? This question in the case of Job is decided by God Himself, not by arguments derived from Job’s sin, but His own power. For whereas the friends of Job drew their arguments from his affliction to his sin, and he defended himself by the conscience of his innocence, God Himself taketh up the matter, and having justified the affliction by arguments drawn from His power, such as this (Job 38:4), “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?” and the like, both approved Job’s innocence, and reproved the erroneous doctrine of his friends.