Gods Three Arrows, Section 8 – Section 9
§. 8. Of Saints not fearing man.
IIII. *See §. 5.SAints of God need not feare ſonnes of men. I meane not here by feare that reverend reſpect which inferiours owe to their ſuperiours, who by vertue of their dignity beare the image of God, and in that reſpect are ſtiled Gods, Pſal. 82. 6. and by vertue of their place ſtand in Gods roome. For this is that Honour which the Law requireth, 1 Sam. 8. 7:Exod. 20. 12. and the Apoſtle adviſeth Chriſtians to yeeld this feare to whom it is due, Rom. 13. 7. But a dread, terrour, or perplexity of mind by reaſon of any evill. The meaning then of the point is this, Saints need not feare any evill that men can do againſt them. This conſequence Chriſt himſelfe inferreth from the fore-mentioned extent of Gods Providence, Mat. 10. 29, 31. It muſt needs therefore be a juſt conſequence. And to ſhew that it is a matter of moment, worthy of all due regard, he doth here three ſeverall times inculcate it, viz. ver. 26, 28, 31. In many other places of Scripture is feare of men, ſo as here forbidden. In ſpeciall manner note, 1 Pet. 3. 14. where the meaning of this word is thus moſt fully unfolded, aforeign.Be not afraid of their terrour, neither be troubled. For inſtances take the examples of bHeb. 11. 23. 27Moſes and his parents, of cPſal 118. 6.David, dEzr. 8. 22.Ezra, and the Iewes with him, eNeh. 6. 11.of Nehemiah, fLuke 13. 32.Christ, his gAct. 4. 19. Providentiam cateris creatur is non negamus: curam ſponſa vindicat ſibi. Bern. ſuper Cant. Serin. 68.Apoſtles, and of all Martyrs in all ages.
Good grounds there are for Saints to be of undaunted ſpirits. For,
1. Gods Providence, extending it ſelfe to the meaneſt creatures (as hath beene proved) it muſt needs be much more exerciſed upon the beſt of creatures, as true Saints are. They are the children of God, the ſpouſe of his Sonne, the temple of his Spirit. They are a peculiar treaſure unto him above all people, though all the earth be his, Exod. 19. 5. Though therefore Gods generall Providence be upon every creature, yet the Spouſe of Chriſt, the Church, and every member of it, every true Saint, challengeth the ſpeciall care of God, as a prerogative to it ſelfe. The Church is Chriſts cure. He hath therefore the greateſt care of it: and it may cast her whole care on him, 1 Pet. 5. 7. and boldly ſay, The Lord is my helper, and I will not feare what man ſhall do unto me, Heb. 13. 6.
2. All that man can do, can but lMat. 10. 28. Luk. 12. 4.touch the body: it cannot reach to the ſoule. Now, the body is but the outward part of a man, a mortall part, ſubject to much miſery. Therefore all that man can do at the moſt, is but for a moment, 2 Cor. 4. 17. So as the uttermoſt which man can do, in compariſon of the evill which reacheth to the ſoule, is little to be accounted of, not to be feared.
3. Man can inflict nothing upon the body, which may truly and properly be called evill: or which may make it miſerable. Degradation from offices, Deprivation of goods, Reſtraint of liberty, Reproach, Diſgrace, Torture, Execution of death, Deniall of buriall, and other externall croſſes like unto theſe, are ſo farre from making Saints miſerable, as thorow the divine providence they turne to their advantage. mHeb. 10 34.Loſſe of goods may prove a gaine of grace: nAct. 16. 25.Reſtraint of outward liberty, a meanes of greater freedome of conſcience: o1 Cor. 4. 13.Diſgrace, a motive for God the more to manifeſt his approbation: pHeb. 11. 35.Torment, an occaſion of eaſing the mind: q2 Cor. 4. 17.Death of body, an entrance into eternall life. What evils can they be, which bring ſo great advantages to men?
4. If they ſhould be evils, God can protect and deliver from them all. (Of the many wayes of exempting Saints from judgements, ſee The Plaiſter for the Plague, on Num. 16. 45. §. 12, 14.) What cauſe then is there to feare man for any thing he can do?
Take to your ſelves therefore, O believers, who are well inſtructed in the extent of Gods providence to all creatures, and thereupon in his care over you, and protection of you, take to your ſelves an holy boldneſſe, and an invincible courage againſt all that man can do. Take to you the reſolutions of them that in truth and faith ſaid, rPſal. 118. 6.The Lord is on my ſide: I will not feare: What can man do unto me? sDan. 3. 17.Our God whom we ſerve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery fornāce: and he will deliver us. O be not ſo affrighted with ſhadowes, as upon the ſight of painted fire to ſtartle backe into true burning fire. So do they who to avoid perſecution, denie the truth: or to avoid reproach, proove profane. Theſe are no fruits of faith in the extent of Gods Providence.
§. 9. Of eying God in all affaires.
V. *See §. 5.GOD is to be beheld in all our affaires. If a ſparrow fall not to the ground without him, what do we, what can we do without him? And if his hand be in all that we do or can do, ought we not to take notice thereof, to behold it, well to obſerve it, and marke whereto it tends? Doth God from heaven looke downe upon us on earth, and ſhall not we from earth life up eyes and hearts to him that is in heaven? The Pſalmiſt indefinitely ſaith of all, even Pſal. 145. 15.all creatures, The eyes of all looke up unto thee, O Lord. And ſhall not the eyes of all reaſonable creatures, ſhall not the eyes of all that are made new creatures, looke up unto God? That God which in his ſurpaſſing glory is in heaven, in and by his working Providence, is on earth also; and (as he that well knew what he ſaid, truly ſaid) worketh hitherto, Ioh. 5. 17. He that wrought ſix dayes in creating all things, Manifeſtum eſt nequaquam noſtra induſtria, ſed providentia Dei …liam ea perfici, in quibus ipſi videmur operari. Chryſ. in Mat. 6. Hom. 22.worketh to this very day, and ſo will do all the dayes of this world, in and by his Providence. Thus thoſe very things which we our ſelves ſeeme to worke, are more truly effected and perfected by Gods Providence, then by our diligence. Let us therefore enterprize nothing without him. Except the Lord build the houſe, they labour in vaine that build it: except the Lord keepe the city, the watchman waketh but in vaine. It is vaine for you to riſe up early, to ſit up late, to eate the bread of ſorrowes; namely, unleſſe the Lord put to his hand.
Learne hereby to commend all thine affaires to the divine Providence. Depend thereon all thy life long. So do on thy death-bed. If thou haſt children, comfort thy ſelfe herein, that though thou (their earthly Father) maiſt be taken from them, yet thine and their heavenly Father, who is not onelyonly a meere ſpectator, and beholder of all things, but a diſpoſer and orderer of them by his wiſe and juſt Providence, ever remaineth to worke with them, to worke for them, if at leaſt they will put their truſt in him, and depend on him. Commend thy ſoule therefore, commend thy children, and all thou leaveſt behind thee, to his providence, when thou art departing out of this world.