The Resolved Christian Exhorting to Resolution, Book 2 · Chapter 4
Chap. IIII Comforts for perſons wrongfully condemned to Death.
That becauſe we hauehave deſerued Death by our manifold ſinnes, we ought to die willingly, though otherwiſe we be innocently condemned. Sect. I
Whoſoeuer ſhal conſider what man is in himſelf, cannot iudge otherwiſe, but that, if he endure all the miſeries of this life, and eternall torments in the world to come; he ſuffereth no more then he hath deſerued, being as it were the ſworne enemie of God, at vtter defiance with him,What Man is in himſelfe. euer contradicting and repugning his holy will: for our ſenſes are ſwords to fight againſt him, our words blowes, and our workes wounds; yea our body, that ſhould be the temple of the holy Ghoſt, is a ſinke of al vncleanneſſe; our ſoule a moſt riotous and rebellious enemie vntounto God; our vnderſtanding, quicke to repreſent vntounto the Will, inſtruments of ſinne; our will a common Curteſan, coueting and luſting after eueryevery offer that ſhe liketh; our memory, a regiſter of wickedneſſe, for our ſinful thoughts and fantaſies to feede vponupon: finally, what part of our body, what power of our ſoule, whereof God hath giuen vsus the vſe, but we daily abuſe to his diſhonour? warring againſt him, with his owne weapons, and imploying our life, motion, and being, to the continuall prouoking of him in whome weeaAct. 17.28 liue, moue, and hauehave our being? howbeit indeed we do but throw duſt at the ſunne, which lighteth in our owne eies, & kicke againſt the pricke. You muſt not therfore complaine of your rough handling, no not thogh you were worſe dealt with, for ſo much as you hauehave deſerued, not only temporal death of the body, but alſo eternall damnation, both of body and ſoule, by your greeuous ſinnes, whereby you hauehave offended the Maieſtie of God, and prouoked him to anger: let vsus not ſay I am innocent, I am righteous, I hauehave not done any thing worthy of death. O let vsus not play the Pharaſies! The wages of ſinne is Death, if we die,bRom. 6.23 then hauehave we but our deſert, for we cannot denie but that we hauehave ſinned. There is no righteouſneſſe in Man. This was the fooles-paradiſe into which thecGalat. 3.1 Galathians were brought, who ſought their perfection in the fleſh. Take heede then, Paul counteth thee a foole that goeſt this way to worke. This is a ſtolen feather, it belongeth to a better Bird: it is the armes royall of our grand Captaine Ieſus Chriſt, it is the enſigne wherewith he triumphed ouer his enemies:dIoh. 8.46 Which of you can rebuke mee of ſinne? Oh let vsus not rob Chriſt of his honour! let vsus not make gods of our ſelues; foreMar. 10.18 Luke. 18.19 who is good but God! let vsus not forget whoſe children we be! O earth, earth, that thou ſhouldeſt thinke ſo well of thy ſelfe!fProu. 20.9 who can ſay, I hauehave made my hart clean, I am clean from ſinne? The more we ſeeke to cloke our ſinnes, the more they do appeare. Wherefore, ſo iudge you of this your puniſhmēt, as of the rod of our heauenly Father chaſtiſing your ſinnes, which you ought to beare patiently, magnifying the Lordes goodneſſe and mercies towards you, for that he correcteth you but with a temporal puniſhment,g1. Cor. 11.31 if we would iudge our ſelues (ſaith Paul) we ſhould not be iudged: h32But when we are iudged, we are chaſtened of the Lord, becauſe we ſhuld not be condemned with the world. Yet notwithſtanding concerning this fact which is falſely imputed vntounto you, for which alſo you are innocently adiudged to die; happie are you and bleſſed, and bleſſed ſhal be your portion, if you ſuffer this your iudgement willingly and patiently;iMath. 5.10 Bleſſed are they which ſuffer perſecution for righteouſneſſe ſake, for theirs is the kingdome of heauen: He hath ſpoken it that will neuer change. Take it patiently then, fork1. Pet. 2.20. this is acceptable vntounto the Lord: Murmure not, howbeit you be ignorant of the cauſe of your puniſhment; know that you are puniſhed iuſtly by this, in that you are iudged by him, whoſe iudgements can neuer be vniuſt.
That we muſt not reuenge our wrongs. Sect. II.
THough others bee guiltie of this your iudgement, ſuffering and death, as being the principall Actors, Procurers, or Fauorers of the ſame; yet you muſt willingly forgiue them, and in any caſe beware that you doe not breathe after Reuengement:aHebr. 10.30 Deut. 32.35 Rom. 12, 19 Vengeance belongeth vntounto me, I will recompence, ſaith the Lord. It is Gods office, we muſt not intrude our ſelues, we may not vſurp Gods office.bHebr. 10.30 The Lord ſhall iudge his people. We muſt not be our own caruers, we muſt not reuenge, but leaue it vntounto God and to his miniſters, whom he hath appointed to execute iudgemēt and iuſtice;cSyrac. 28.1 He that ſeeketh vengeance ſhall finde vengeance of the Lord, and hee will ſurely keepe his ſinnes. d2Forgiue therefore thy Neighbour the hurt that he hath done to thee, ſo shall thy ſinnes be forgiuen thee alſo when thou praieſt; ſaith Syrach, according to that of our Sauiour Chriſt,eMath. 6.14 If yee forgiue men their treſpaſſes, your heauenly Father will alſo forgiue you. f15But if you doe not forgiue men their treſpaſſes, no more will your father forgiue you your treſpaſſes. So farre ſhould wee bee from reuenge, that wee ought to pray for our enemies. Moſes, when the Children of Iſrael had euill intreated him, & murmured againſt him; when they were plagued therefore, hee praied vntounto the Lord, ſaying,gExod. 32.32 If thou wilt not pardon their ſinne, I pray thee raſe me out of thy book which thou haſt written. Chriſt alſo, when his enemies perſecuted and crucified him, cried to his Father, ſaying,hLuke. 23.34 Father forgiue them, for they know not what they doe. Thus did Chriſt, and thus he commanded vsus to do,iMath. 5.44 LoueLove your enemies, bleſſe them that curſe you, doe good to them that hate you, and pray for them which hurt & perſecute you. Stephen that holy Martyr, when hee was ſtoned to death,kAct. 7.60. he kneeled downe & (as a faithful ſeruant of Ieſus Chriſt) cried with a lowde voice, Lord, lay not this ſime to their charge. Thus you ſee that you muſt not hate them, that apprehended and accuſed you, albeit falſely, nor them that iudged & condēned you, though wrongfully, neither yet your executioners; but you muſt louelove them, and pray for them:lLeuit. 19.18. Deut. 22.1 So God cōmanded, ſomMath. 5.44 Luc. 6.27 Chriſt preſcribed, ſonLuc. 23.34 Chriſt himſelfe did, ſo didoExod. 32.32 Moſes, ſo didpAct. 7.60 Stephen, ſo didq1. Cor. 4.13 Paul and others. Wherfore ſhould not you follow their precepts & examples? If you be a Diſciple, you muſt follow your maiſter; If you are a Seruaunt, you muſt obey your Lord: and if you be the Child of God, you muſt do like Gods Children, you muſt follow their ſteppes: not forgetting how daungerous it is to auenge our ſelues, forrMat. 7.2 with what meaſure yee mete, it shall bee meaſured vntounto you againe; as appeareth in the Prophecie of Ezechiel?sEzec. 25.12 Thus ſaith the Lord God, Becauſe Edom hath done euill, by taking vengeance vponupon the houſe of Iudah, and hath committed great offence, and reuenged himſelf vponupon them: t13Therefore thus ſaith the Lorde God, I will alſo ſtretch out mine hand vponupon Edom, and deſtroie Man and Beaſt out of it, and I will make it deſolate, v14&c. u and they shall knowe my vengeance, &c. Reade out this Chapter.
Comforts taken from the examples of them that hauehave beene innocentlie adiudged to die. Sect. III.
Obiection.
Alas, I hauehave great wrong, and am very hardly dealt withall; I am falſely accuſed, violently apprehended, wrongfully impriſoned, and innocently condemned to die the death. Ah hard and heauie caſe!
Anſwere.
TRue it is: I grant your caſe is hard and heauie, but yet not ſo hard, nor ſo heauie as you take it: you ſay you hauehave great wrong, and are very hardly dealt with; admit this, ſo were al the Prophets, and Apoſtles, and generally, all Gods children before you: you are falſely accuſed, ſo werea1. King. 21.10 Naboth,bDan. 6.13 Daniel and others: you are violently apprehended, ſo were they alſo, ſo wascGen. 39.17 Ioſeph before them, and infinite others: you are wrongfully impriſoned, ſo were they likewiſe, ſo wasdMath. 14.3. Iohn Baptiſt: laſtly, you are innocently adiudged to die, ſo were all theſe, Noah, Daniel, Iohn Baptiſt, andeAct. 7.57 Stephen, yea all the Prophets and Apoſtles. Wherefore your caſe is not ſo lamentable as you take it, for it is a common thing in the ſcriptures, among the children of God, to ſee the iuſt oppreſſed by the vniuſt, to ſeefHab. 1.13 the wicked deuoure the man that is more righteous then he, & to ſee the innocent and holy man put to death by the enemies of God, and of the Croſſe of Chriſt. Now it remaineth that you doe like one that hath his houſe a fire, burning all in a flame, ſo that it is vnpoſſible to be extinguiſhed or quenched; who will throw out and fetch from thence al his treaſure and iewells, that ſo he may with them build another houſe. So muſt you doe, let your old ruinous houſe burne, let it periſh, ſeeing it may not be otherwiſe, onelyonly thinke and beſtirre your ſelfe how you may ſaue your treaſure and your iewells; I meane your ſoule, by a true and conſtant faith in Ieſus Chriſt our Redeemer, that ſo at the reſurrection of the iuſt, you may come vntounto a new houſe, that cannot periſh, but remaineth immortall for euer; for then you ſhall hauehave an incorruptible and a glorious body, which ſhall not be ſubiect to griefe, paine, ſorrow, neede, and trouble, but ſhall enioy euerlaſting peace and bleſſedneſſe.
Comforts taken from the example of our Sauiour Chriſts innocent ſuffering: With a briefe declaration of the ſame. Sect. IIII.
Obiection.
Yet me thinkes I can hardly brooke theſe wrongs, for they are intolerable. Who can beare ſo many iniuries? ſo many reproches? yea the ſhame of the world and death it ſelf, hauing committed nothing worthy theſe iniurious dealings? if I were a Malefactor, it would not grieue me to be vſed thus.
Anſwere.
YEa then ſhould it moſt of all grieue you, for you could not hauehave ſo much comfort, &aGal. 6.14. ioy in your ſuffrings, hauing deſerued the ſame: whereas now being innocently condemned, you may reioyce in your afflictions,b1. Pet. 4.13 in as much as you are partaker of Chriſts ſufferings. Looke vponupon him and follow his ſteps: Who was more honorable or mightie then he? who was verycMat. 1.23 God, euen thedPſalme 2.7 iohn 3.16 Son of God,ePhil. 2.9 who being in the forme of God, thought it no robberie to be equall with God. Who was more innocent then he? (fEſay 53.9 1. pet. 2.22 1. iohn 3.5 He did no ſinne, neither was there guile found in his mouth) euen by the confeſſion of the Iudge himſelfe who condemned him, Pilate I meane, whogMat. 27.24 tooke water and waſhed his hands before the multitude ſaying, I am innocent of the bloud of this IVST MAN: looke you to it. His whole life was nothing but a perpetuall ſuffering, wherein he washIoh. 4.6 wearied,iMar. 21.18 hungred, andkIoh. 19.28 thirſted; he waslIoh. 2.13 baniſhed,mMat. 11.18 ſlandred, andnMat. 22.46 luke 3.29 perſecuted; he wasoLuke 4.1 tempted, hepMat. 5.2 faſted andqMat. 26.40 watched; herMar. 6.3 labored,sLuke 4.31 preached, andtLuke 22.44 praied; heuMatt. 26.38 ſorowed,xMar. 14.33 grieued, andyLuke 22.44 ſweat water & bloud; yea, he that iszHebr. 7.26 holy, harmeleſſe, ſeperat from ſinners, & made higher then the heauens, wasaMat. 20.49 betraide by Iudas,bMar. 14.50 forſaken by his Apoſtles,cMat 26 57 apprehended by the Souldiers, without cauſedMat. 27.40 exclaimed againſt, wrongfullyeMat. 26.60 accuſed, and vniuſtlyfMat. 27.24 condemned to die; being haled fromgMat. 27.19 ſeate to ſeate, as if he had beene ſome notorious Malefactor, and fromhMat. 26 56 Iudge to Iudge, yet ſuffered he all thingsiMat. 27.2 patiently. He ſuffered manyk1. Pet. 2.23 taunts and checkes, hee waslLuke 23 29 ſtripped,mMat. 27.28 buffeted, andoMat. 27.30 ſpit vponupon he waspLuke 23.64 blindfolded,qLuke 23.29 mocked, and diſdainfullyrLuke 23.29 crowned with thornes:nMat. 27.30 He wassMat. 27.35. he becametMat. 27.29 tormented, anduIoh. 18.25 wounded; he becamexGal. 3.13. accurſed of God,yMat. 27.46 ſuſtained his wrath at laſt, being thez1. Pet. 1.19. innocent Lambe of God, being theaIoh. 1.4. Lord and giuer of life, and beeing thebActes 10.42 Iudge of the quicke & the dead, hecPhil. 2.8 died a moſt ſhamefull death, hauingdMat. 27.24 ſentence therevnto at the hands of a moſt falſe Iudge, a painted wall, one that had more reſpect to the commō applauſe of the malignant, than vntounto iuſtice. What chriſtian heart can thinke much to ſuffer, being moued by this example of him that ſuffered ſo much for hiseCol. 1.21 enemies? He hath giuen vsus ſuch af1. Pet. 2.21 preſident, in ſuffring for vsus, as it muſt needes ſeeme little whatſoeuer we ſuffer for him. There is no greater entiſement vntounto ſoue,It is a hard heart that cannot requite louelove with louelove. then to preuent the louer; and too hard is that heart, that if it would not requeſt louelove, is not contēt at the leaſt to require it: where was euer any that either ſought ſo much, or bough ſo deare, the louelove of any creature, asgIoh. 15.13 galat. 2.20. epheſ. 5.2. Chriſt did ours? What hath a man more then riches, honour, and life? All this did Chriſt ſpend in winning of vsus; as for his riches, he thathIoh. 1.3. created all things, was borne and died naked; concerning his honour, he thatiPhil. 2.9. thought it no robberie to be equall with God, was ſorted and executed with theeues; touching his life, hee that iskIohn 1.4 Lord of life, was bereaued thereof by a moſt vilde, diſpitefull, and ſhamefull death. Shall the louelove of a mortall Friend, not onelyonly moue vsus, but enforce vsus to louelove him againe? ſhall his perills for vsus make vsus eager of perills for him? becauſe thereby, both our louelove to him is beſt witneſſed, and his louelove to vsus moſt confirmed? and ſhal not this louelove of an immortall Louer, who tendereth vsus more then our ſelues, and in all reſpects deſerueth to hauehave his louelove counteruailed; ſhal it not, I ſay, be able to enflame vsus, with deſire to ſuffer with him, and for him; to teſtifie our affection, with continuing the ſame in the midſt of our afflictions whatſoeuer? Let not therefore the croſſe aduentures that betide you, diſmay you; let not the crueltie of your enemies, the ſharpneſſe of your miſeries, the continuance of your afflictions, daunt your courage. Folow the example of your grand Captaine, whol1. Pet. 2.23 when he was reuiled, reuiled not againe; when he ſuffered he threatned not, but committed it to him that iudgeth righteouſly. Why ſhould you complaine of your bad vſage, ſeeing your Lord and Maiſter was thus cruelly handled? Is themMat. 10.24 luke 6.40. ioh. 13.16 ioh. 15.20 Diſciple aboue his Maiſter? or the Seruant greater then his Lord? If they hauehave done thus to thenLuke 23.31 greene tree, what ſhall be done to the drie? If Chriſt hauing deſerued nothing, did ſuffer ſo horrible, ſo bitter, and ſo grieuous torments, why ſhould we his ſeruants, who hauehave ſo often by our enormous ſinnes, and wicked deedes, offended God, and prouoked his wrath againſt vsus, and ſo often deſerued hell; why ſhould we, I ſay, repine, frown and grudge to ſuffer ſome ſmall puniſhment, ſeeing it be the Lordes will we ſhould doe ſo? Yea, why doe we not ſuffer any temporall affliction willingly, cheerefully, and patiently?