Works, Part 4 · Religious instruction · Chapter 51
CHAP. LI. Of murmuring.
IT is a common thing with men to grudge and murmure against GodsMagistrates true seruants, and therefore Ministers and Magistrates and such like, must learne with patience to beare it, and to prepare themselues for it. For if the Israelites murmured against Moses, being so …are a man, how much more will men now grudge against such as hauehave not obtained the like measure of graces?▪ This is a sore temptation, and Moses himselfe did once offend, because of the murmuring of the people: yet wasNumb. 12. 1. 2. he said to be the meekest man vponupon the earth. But else alwaies Moses ouercomes euill with good: for he was so acquainted with that people, that he had (as it were) hardened his heart against them.
2 This is the nature of murmuring, it will cause a man to be no man at all, which wee may see in the Israelites, who wished to be in Egypt, whereas yet they knewe that for their sinnes, the Lord carried them thither, and as it were in iustice cut them off for sinne: so it is as much as if they had saide; would the Lord had cut vsus off, rather than left vsus in this case: for they were contented to die if they might not hauehave their bellies full.
3 To be assured of Gods prouidence, and that we may not be ouercome of murmuringRemedies against a murmuring. in worldly things, we are to looke to the benefit of Christ in the forgiuenes of our sinnes, the sanctification of Gods spirit, and the hope of euerlasting life: for if wee bee assured of these▪ wee shall be likewise assured, that the Lord will no suffer vsus to perish in this world.1 And if wee doubt of earthly things, wee doe doubt of these spirituall graces much more,2 and the want of the perswasion of the one, doth bring the other. For if the Israelites had3 been perswaded, that the Lord had deliuered them, and would bring them into the land of promise, they would not hauehave doubted that he would preserue them in the wildernes: which wee may see in the example of Abraham, Genesis chapt. 24 who because the Lord had promised him a seede, sent foorth his seruant to get a wife for his sonne: for he knew that the Lord who had made the promise, who wold prouide the meanes also to bring it to passe: so if wee be perswaded that our sinnes are forgiuen vsus, we shall not doubt, that any other thing shall hurt vsus; for seeing sinne the cause of all miseries is taken from vsus, we may be sure that no miserie shall hurt vsus▪ and if the Lord hath giuen vsus his sonne, he will giuegiveConferre all this Chapter with his Sermon of murmuring in the third part for there is but little added here which is not there, & yet I would not omit this. all things with him, and the louelove wherewith he loueth vsus in his sonne will not suffer vsus to want the things that are for our good: for if a father will prouide for his sonne, the Lord will prouide for vsus, who is a heauenly father, and cannot bee changed though earthly fathers he.
4 To this faith in the free forgiuenesse of our sinnes and the imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ, wee must adde the faith in the sanctification of the spirit: for if wee beleeue that the Lord hath made vsus of sinfull men, iust men; of varie…s, vessels of righteousnes, and temples of his spirit: if he can make the Leopard and the K… to lye together. Esay 11. if he can make the couetous person liberall and the whoremonger a chaste person: if wee beleeue that the Lord will and is able to change vsus from any sin be it neuer so great, and strong by nature, or by euill custome: wee may then be sure that the Lord in this life will not suffer vsus to faile in any thing needefull for vsus, neither are wee to doubt thereof, seeme it neuer so vnpossible: for it is a greater worke to change a sinner, than to worke wonders in nature.
5 Fourthly, if we beleeue that the Lord will prepare a kingdome for vsus in the heauens, we cannot but beleeue that in this life he wil perserue vsus. For if we beleeue, that our bodies shall be turned vntounto dust, and yet raised vp againe, we shall be sure he will not but prouide for vsus in this world: for it is a greater thing to raise vp the body from death, and out of the dust than to preserue i… being aliue. And to this faith of our redemption, we must beleeue in the prouidence of God, first, in creation, so that if wee beleeue that the Lord made all things of nothing; we shall beleeue that he will giuegive vsus sufficient: for we see that the light was before the Sunne, Moone, and Starres, and the grasse before the raine and dew, that we should not put too much trust in them, and to teach vsus, that without these meanes we may hauehave these blessings: for the Lord hath prouided these meanes, not for his weaknes, but for ours Do we beleeue that God made all men, and shall we feare men? therefore we beleeue not these things, or els we would not so much feare the want of earthly things: for if a sparrow fall not on the ground without his prouidence shall we thinke he will not prouide for vsus? wee must then beleeue the particular prouidence of God in the gouernment of all things, which will be an helpe to keepe vsus from distrust and murmuring: doe wee beleeue that the Lord made vsus? then shall wee not thinke that hee will preferre vsus? for it is more wonderfull, Psal. 1. and 139. Eccles. 11.
6 We are therfore to beleeue the prouidence of God, first generally ouer all creatures, then particularly ouer eueryevery one of them: yea euen ouer the sparrowes. Againe, if the Lord hath care of beasts (as indeede hee hath) because they were made for man, hee will much more hauehave care of man, for whom they were made. He hath a care for the wicked to do thē good; for hee filleth their bellies with his hidden treasure, then wil he much more reioyce ouer the godly to doe them good: if he loued vsus when we were his enemies, will hee not prouide for vsus being reconciled to him by the death of his owne and onelyonly sonne? If hee did vsus good when we sought him not, will he not much more when wee doe seeke him in praying vntounto him, as he hath commanded? If he hath done vsus good, when for our sins hee might hauehave punished vsus, will he not when with his spirit he hath sanctified vsus? Oh then let vsus not be vnfaithfull, and so become murmurers against the Lord: but let vsus be faithfull, and to looke vntounto the Lord to doe vntounto vsus according to our faith.
7 Furthermore, this prouidence of God must bee confirmed by the example of Gods children in all ages, as in the time of the fathers before the flood, who did eate nothing but hearbes; ve… some of thē liued nine hundred yeeres, to teach vsus that men liue not by these meanes: …f by these meanes he nourished them, he will by greater, as by flesh and fish, nourish vsus. The Israelites were fed with Manna (which was neuer seene before nor since) for the space of fourtie yeeres. If they gathered any more thereof than the Lord commanded, it stanke: yet being kept before the Arke 400. yeeres it did not so, and when they came to the promised land it ceased: whereby we may learne, that it is not the meanes, but the blessing of God vponupon the meanes that giueth nourishment. Did not Moses and Elias liue fortie daies without meate, and the children of Israel goe fortie yeeres in the same garments not waxing old? and othersome hauing meate in abundance been hunger-starned? and shal it not teach vsus that these things are ordained for our weaknes, and that the Lord without these meanes can nourish vsus? If Dauid proued by experience, that he neuer saw a righteous man, of righteous parents, begging his bread; if wee bee now righteous, as they were then, the Lord will prouide for vsus now as well as he did then for them, and we shal hauehave the like experience.
8 To this prouidence we must come with a patient minde to let the Lord giuegive what he will, and therefore wee must hauehave contented mi…es, and know that godlinesse is great riches,Contentation and not to looke for great matters, Ier. 45. as it was said to Baruch, and therefore are wee taught to pray for daily bread: so that we may hauehave the same minde that was in our father Iacob, Gen. 28. who was content with meate and cloath, which generally is commanded to all, 1. Tim. 6. if the Lord giuegive more than this, take it as an ouerplus. A patient minde prescribeth not to God, the meanes nor the time, nor indenteth with God, but is content with the grace of God in forgiuenes of sinne, and the sanctification of the spirit, though it want other things: our Sauiour Christ teacheth vsus, not too desirously to seek after earthlyPatience. things, but rather after the kingdome of God: and wee ought to receiue the louelove of God with all contentment though it come alone, and for outward things to enioy them, or not to hauehave them as it pleaseth him: for the children of God doe for outward things possesse their soules in patience, and commit the rest vntounto the Lord, not binding his fauour vntounto them.
9 The cause of all rebellion and murmuring is, that wee know not the great power of the Lord, or else we at that time doe forget it: when by faith we should make to our selues most comfortable vse of it, as wee may see in the Israelites, who had beheld the great power of God with his goodnesse towards them, but not in faith, and therefore when the tentation was sore vponupon them they cleane forgat it. The Lord therefore being zealous of his owne glorie, sheweth himselfe to bee most louing and beneficiall towards vsus, which ought to leade vsus to acknowledge his great goodnesse, but if wee doe not, then his iustice will surely teach vsus.
10 The Lord oftentimes with holdeth or taketh away that thing, the hauing whereof might be hurtfull vntounto vsus: which if we would rightly consider of, it would be an especiallWherefore we wāt many things which we desire. helpe against murmuring in the want of Gods blessings. For if wee would consider this, that the Lord doth therefore keepe it from vsus, because hee seeth it would bee hurtfull for vsus, and that when wee shall be fit for it, hee will then giuegive it vntounto vsus, wee should better bee contented with that we hauehave, and more patiently beare the want of that wee would hauehave: as for example, if a man wanting health, riches, estimation, and such like, and bee grieued for it, so that he is almost readie to murmure for the want of them: if he then can consider that the Lord knoweth they be not good for him, but if he had them they would turne to his hurt: this would bring marueilous great quietnes to his heart, and would stop his murmuring nature, and would rather stirre him vp to acknowledge the goodnesse of God towards him.
11 When the Lord proueth his people, he thereby laboureth to bring them to prayer: yet on the contrarie, they fl…e from him, and murmure against him: the reason is, for thatHow we flie from God in trouble. they thinke it a small comfort to pray vntounto him in their trouble, but rather thinke it very harsh to acknowledge their sinnes, and so to obtaine the forgiuenes of them, which being obtained, nothing can bee more comfortable: they must hauehave that they want, or else nothing will please them. As the Israelites did murmure against the Lord when they wantedNothing can please vsus whē we hauehave not our desires. water, nothing else would please them: so is it with many when they cannot obtaine some corporall or externall blessing, which they doe much long for. But who art thou oh thou vile man, that thus dealest with the Lord, and neuer hast had thy heart washed by the blood of Iesus Christ? for if thou haddest, thou wouldest neuer murmure so much for wanting that thou wouldest hauehave, but rather make him at all times the chiefest comfort, and in all thy necessities, patiently and meekely call vponupon him in feruent and faithful prayer.
12 Men doe not onelyonly faile in prayer vntounto the Lord: but also they murmure many times against such as he hath set ouer them to bee their guides: for the latter sinne ariseth of the former. The Israelites quarrelled with Moses: yet what had Moses done against them? they thought no doubt that he of malice, and contrarie to the will of the Lord, had brought them into the wildernesse, for they thought God had a neerer way and a better to bring them into the promised land: and because they could not consider the worke of the Lord, therefore they must needes quarrell against some bodie, and wreake their griefe vponupon him, laying the fault vponupon Moses. Thus did Rachel, whom when the Lord punished, for that she was Proud (because her husband loued her best) and made her barren, when he gaue children to Leah, she not considering that the Lord punished her pride with barrennes, began to quarrell with her husband; asking him why he gaue no children to her? To whom he answered: Am I in stead of God vntounto thee, to giuegive thee children? And this is the manner of the people in all ages, that when they cannot see the Lord punishing them for their sinnes, they straightway lay the fault vponupon some or other, by whom they thinke it commeth. As now if the Lord doe send tumults and stormes into the common-wealth, so that the people be brought to some trouble; doe we not straight wayes lay the fault vponupon the Magistrates, and say, is not this the doing of the Magistrates? They consider not that the Lord doth by this meanes punish them for their sinne: for it is certaine that the Lord loueth a multitude better than one or few, and therefore hee will not punish a whole realme or nation, if the sinnes of a multitude did not prouoke him thereunto. But it oftentimes commeth to passe, that for the sinnes of the people, he doth harden the hearts of the Magistrates, that they cannot louelove their subiects so well, nor that they can bee so profitable,Magistrates and doe them so much good, as otherwise they might, as is reported by Iehoshaphat, 2. Chron. 20. This if the people could or would consider, they would not be so ready to lay the faults▪on their Magistrates, when trouble or triall commeth vponupon them: in like case doe they also deale with their Ministers. If trouble come, doe they not straightwaies say, see what our Preachers hauehave done? and is not this the fruite of their preaching? so they will alwaies hauehave one or other to lay the fault vponupon. But what was Moses comfort in this case, and that which staied him from murmuring against them? Euen that (no doubt) which other of Gods Ministers hauehave had in the like case. Ieremiah in the seuēteenth chapter against the raging of the people, made this his sure defence that he had not thrust in himselfe into that office to be their Pastor, but the Lord appointed and called him therevnto. Secondly, that of affection he had spoken nothing but onelyonly that which the Lord commanded; did he declare vntounto them; and from hence may all the true Ministers of God hauehave comfort: for if the Lord send them, he will no doubt defend them, so long as they doe this message faithfully, & therefore the people must take heede how they either receiue or reiect any that speake to them in the name of the Lord. For as they may not receiue any that bringeth not the word of truth, nor be feared by them; for as much as the causelesse curse shall passe without hurt: so likewise, and as surely shall the word of God spoken truly by his Minister certainely hauehave his effect, and shall not returne in vaine: And this is common to all kinds of calling, that men may be confirmed therein. Contrariwise, when we being in affliction can pray vntounto the Lord for his helpe, and acknowledge his prouidence in that which is vponupon vsus, it manifesteth our faith, it preserueth vsus from murmuring, and keepeth vsus from quarrelling with men: for if we consider that it is the Lords worke, we shall neuer set our selues against him for it: but if we passe ouer his prouidence, then shall we auenge our selues vponupon men. But many men will be content to iudge and condemne this sinne in the Israelites, and neuer looke into themselues to see the same:The sinnes of this age grea ter than of elder ages. but this sinne is as rife now as euer it was, and this no doubt is a cause why many cannot profit by the examples of the old Testament, because they imagine grossely of the sinnes of that people, and thinke that there is no such grosse sinnes now, whereas indeed if the case were duely considered, the same sinne is grosser now than it was then: for as much as the mercies of God are more plentifully vponupon vsus, and with greater continuance than vponupon them.
13 The children of Israel did so much as in them lay to prouoke Moses diuers times to murmure against the Lord: yet we may reade how he yeelded not, neither was at any time ouercome except once, Numb. 20. Psal. 106, for which the Lord said, he should not enter into the land of promise, and Moses found the truth thereof: for when he much desired the same, the Lord would not be entreated, but he must die in the Mount: where all men must learne that they praise not the children of God too much, though they be strong & The strōgest may fall.hauehave receiued great gifts: for by Moses example they may here see that by such violence of temptation they may fall. And againe, all Gods children must take heede that they yeeld not to temptations, when they are offered: for though the occasion be of another, yet the cause is in our selues, and we shall be chastised for the same if we doe yeeld. And againe, we must take heede that we doe giuegive no occasion to the Magistrate, or the Minister to murmure, least the Lord punishing them, we also be depriued of the benefit which we should receiue by them.