Seven Treatises, Treatise 6 · Chapter 10
CHAP. 10. Of the ſecond branch of this priuiledge, concerning the afflictions of the faithfull: namely, That God deliuereth them out of manie, when the wicked ſtill remaine in theirs.
THe ſecond point is, that they may alſo aſſure themſelues, that the Lord will deliuer them (and that of very fauour) out of many troubles, though they ſee not how: euen as I hauehave ſhewed, that ſome ſhall not touch them at all. For although they themſelues ſee not how, nor any other likelihood but that they ſhall long oppreſſe them, yea vtterly conſume them; yet euen then doth the Lord know how to deliuer them, and hath many waies, which we could not ſee, to rid them out of ſo great calamities: and ſo he doeth,God oft deliuereth his altogether: either before they hauehave long lien vponupon them, or at leaſt, before they hauehave beene driuen to any extremitie by them, and before they hauehave had their courſe; as in the deliuerances of Dauid, mentioned 1. Sam. 19.20.23.24. & 26. chapters thorowout, is to be ſeene. And this he doth as oft as it is expedient:Ioh. 16.7. 2. Cor. 12.9. Prou. 11.8. And the wicked come in their roome. when in the meane ſeaſon he dealeth not ſo with the vnbeleeuers, but when the other eſcape, they come many times in their roome, as the wiſe man ſaith: The godly eſcape out of trouble by the Lords deliuering of them, and the wicked are come in their ſtead. Now for proofe of that which I ſaid [that God deliuereth them out of many] what is more plaine then that which the prophet ſaith:Pſal. 124.1. If the Lord had not beene on our ſide, (may Iſraell now ſay) if the Lord had not been on our ſide when men roſe vp against vsus, they had then ſwallowed vsus vp quicke, when their wrath was kindled against vsus, &c. But praiſed be the Lord, who hath not giuen vsus a prey vntounto their teeth. Our ſoule is eſcaped as a bird out of the ſnare of the fouler, the ſnare is broken, and we are eſcaped. The Apoſtle prooueth it alſo in his words:2. Cor. 1.10. We would not hauehave you ignorant (brethren) of our affliction which came vntounto vsus in Aſia, how we were preſſed out of meaſure, paſsing ſtrength, ſo that we altogither doubted euen of life: but God deliuered vsus from ſo great a death, and doth deliuer vsus; in whom we trust alſo that he will deliuer vsus.
The dangers of Gods people vnderunder the gouernment of king Ahaſhueroſh, who knoweth not? How had that wicked Haman by malice and ſubtiltie obtained of the king, commiſſion to take their goods and put them to death?Eſther. 3.13. &c. &. 7.10. The day was ſet, and all preparation made for the bringing of it to paſſe: and yet before it could be effected, how did the Lord at the humble ſute of Mardocheus and the Queene Heſter in prayer and faſting, ſeeking vntounto him, turne away the plague from them, and deliuering them, bring their enemies and Haman the firſt of all the reſt (as he was the chiefeſt) into their roome? euen as Daniel was deliuered out of the lions denne (the Lord ſhutting their mouthes that they ſhould not hurt him:Dan. 6.23.) but his accuſers being throwne in after that he was deliuered, the lyons had the maſtery ouer them, and brake their bones or euer they came at the ground of the denne. The whole ſtory of the Bible is full of ſuch examples: wherein this is moſt cleerely to be ſeene, how God hath deliuered his, truſting in him, from and out of many and great dangers and calamities. So that if God doe this for his, then his ſeruants may aſſuredly looke for it.
And yet I would all ſhould know, that I doe not bring theſe, as I might many others to this end, onelyonly that I might prooue that God hath deliuered his children out of troubles:Gen. 21.15. 1. Sam. 31.8.1. for ſo hath he done the wicked alſo (as Iſhmael in the wilderneſſe, and the Philiſtims from Saule:) neither is that the thing which either I intend; or if I did, were that any priuiledge or peculiar bleſſing to the godly, foraſmuch as the wicked may hauehave their part in it as well as they: But I bring theſe examples to prooue,The godly are deliuered in gods fauour. that Gods people may be ſure that he will of fatherly louelove deliuer them from many, namely, when they hauehave ſought vntounto God in their troubles (to God, I ſay, and not to creatures;) aſſuring themſelues,Hoſ. 6.1. that as it is he that hath ſmitten them, ſo he ſhall heale them. And in that they hauehave vſed thoſe meanes for their deliuerance,Eſter. 4.16. 2. Chro. 20.3. which God hath taught them to vſe, namely, faſting and praier with confidence, as Mardocheus, Iehoſaphat, and in that they hauehave reſted vponupon God, as they did in the Pſalme 124.Hoſe 14.4. 8. & 20.7, and not on a bruſed reede, as oft-times Iſraell did; and in that when they doe looke for deliuerance certainly, they hauehave firſt a promiſe thereof from God,Ioſua 11.6. Iudg. 7.9.15. as Ioſua had againſt the king of Hazor and his company; and Gedeon againſt the Amalekites and the Midianites: when they doe (I ſay) obtaine deliuerance thus, and after this maner, this is a ſingular priuiledge vntounto them: for then they know that it commeth from God, and therefore they may hauehave great comfort therein, and receiue ſuch deliuerances as pledges of his fauour.
The wicked not ſo.And thus are Gods ſeruants onelyonly deliuered out of their troubles: the vngodly hauehave no part with them in this fellowſhip. And yet I doe not ſay, that euen they are alwaies thus affected and furniſhed with this grace, alwaies to beleeue and looke for it,Yet the godly doe not alwaies beleeue this. as oft as God deliuereth them out of any daungers and troubles (that is it indeed which they ſhould daily aime at:) and yet they can hauehave no ſound comfort to their hearts more then other men hauehave, vnleſſe they doe thus waite vponupon God by ſound hope, and ſeeke to him in their neceſſities and diſtreſſes after this maner; but hauehave onelyonly outward helpe and ſuccour, or an end of their troubles, as the wicked may hauehave; little conſidering from whence they come, or whether they hauehave them in Gods fauour or diſpleaſure.
But before I goe any further, I muſt heere anſwer an obiection. For it wil be demaunded of me:Obiection. What profit may we reape by the examples before alleadged? (whereby I prooued,Obiection. that deliuerances out of aduerſities & dangers are not priuiledges, except they hauehave a promiſe thereof from God before,The fathers had particular promiſes, but ſo hauehave not we. and beleeue the ſame:) What is that to vsus will theſe men ſay, foraſmuch as God doth not at any time ſpeake vntounto vsus, as he did in ages paſt vntounto our fathers? Iehoſaphat indeed, they ſay, might well and eaſily be perſwaded,2. Chron. 20.17. that God would giuegive the Moabites (his enimies) into his hand, when he by his prophet had ſaid to him: To morrow goe out againſt them,Ioſ. 11.6. Iudg. 6.14. and the Lord will be with thee. So Ioſua, and in like maner Gedeon: but where hath God thus ſpoken to any of his faithfulleſt ſeruants in this laſt age of the world, parſonally or particularly in trouble (ſay they) that he will deliuer him and remoue his afflictions from him? Therefore none of them can be certaine thereof, and therefore not ſo well ordered in their troubles as they were.
I anſwere:Anſwer. That God doth not indeed ſpeake to vsus after that maner that he did to our fathers, as we are certified in the epiſtle to the Ebrewes;2. Tim. 4.8. Hebr. 1.1. but hath left his whole minde to vsus in his word, wherein he hath ſo fully declared his will in all things as is ſufficient, and in the weightieſt matters he hath ſpoken as plainely to vsus as to them. And concerning this one thing, namely,God in the chiefeſt matters hath ſpoken as plainly to vsus as to them. Rom. 7.25. Iam. 4.6. of deliuering vsus out of diſtreſſes and afflictions: if they be inward (as ſinnes and corruptions) he hath promiſed (if we beleeue the ſame) that he will giuegive vsus grace to mortifie our ſinne; and if we doe not ouercome and ſubdue the ſame as we would, yet that his grace ſhall be ſufficient for vsus: and the beſt of our forfathers had no more. If they be outward viſitations, and croſſes, as ſickneſſes, pouerty. &c. he hath promiſed alſo, that if it be expedient and for the beſt to vsus he will pull vsus out of them;Iohn 14.13. & 15.16. Rom. 8.28. and howſoeuer he doe in our ſufferings, that which he doth, ſhall be the beſt for vsus. And there was no other thing ſaid to the body of the church in the former …g…s, but generall promiſes which were made to all the faithfull (excepting that for ſome eſpeciall cauſes ſome particular promiſe of deliuerence was made to ſome certaine perſons, and for waighty cauſes; and yet thoſe were not made for all times,2. Sam. 15.25. nor in all troubles:) as may be ſeene by the anſwere of Dauid, who being driuen out of Ieruſalem by his ſonne Abſolon riſing vp againſt him moſt traiterouſly & vnnaturally, ſaid vntounto Zadok the prieſt, Carry the arke of God againe into the city: If I ſhall finde fauour in the eies of the Lord, he will bring me againe, and ſhew me both it, and the tabernacle thereof: but if he thus ſay, I hauehave no delight in thee; behold heere am I, let him doe to me as ſeemeth good in his eies.
It it cleare by this, that Dauid in his trouble did not know whether God would deliuer him or no; neither did he know what the end ſhould be; nor had any promiſe from God, that he ſhould returne againe to Ieruſalem in peace, and behold the arke and tabernacle any more: yet Dauid ſought to the Lord, and humbled himſelfe, and was not ſo amaſed with the affliction (as ſtrange as it was) but that he remembred the Lord, and praied to him, and worſhipped in token that he had made God his ſtay and defence, whatſoeuer the iſſue of his ſore triall ſhould be. The like is to be ſeene in the example of Sidrach, Miſach and Abednego: who when they heard the ſtraight charge of king Nabucadnezar, That whoſoeuer ſhould not at the ſound of the inſtruments of muſicke fall downe and worſhip the image which he had ſet vp, ſhould be caſt into the midſt of an hot fiery furnace immediately, anſwered the king and ſaid: O Nabuchadnezar, Dan. 3.17.we are not carefull to anſwere thee in this matter. Behold, our God whom we ſerue, is able to deliuer vsus from the hot fiery furnace, and he will deliuer vsus out of thy hand, ô king; but if he do not, be it knowen vntounto thee (ô king) that we wil not ſerue thy gods, nor worſhip the golden image which thou haſt ſet vp. We ſee they knew not whether God would deliuer them or no: but this they were perſwaded of, that he had a moſt tender & fatherly care ouer them, and would ſhew the ſame in the time of their need; and if it were for his glory he would deliuer them. &c.
And now (to returne to our ſelues) if we in our tribulations be thus vpholden by the generall promiſes of God, if we ſue and ſeeke to him with this condition to be deliuered [If it be expedient in his eies] indeauouring to be contented with that which ſhall fall out on either ſide,Note. we hauehave behaued our ſelues as it became vsus, we hauehave ſought to him aright as his word teacheth vsus: and if we after this obtaine deliuerance, God hath heard vsus, he hath kept promiſe with vsus, and we hauehave receiued good proofe of our faith. And who can deny, but that it is a great priuiledge when we obtaine deliuerance thus? and thus doing, although we be not deliuered, yet we reſt perſwaded (howſoeuer our weake nature hold backe) that the Lord hath done iuſtly and well; hoping with ſuch confidence, as of fraile fleſh may be obtained, for anſwerable ſtrength and conſolation vntounto the meaſure of our afflictions in our greateſt neede. And if men ſee no great matter in this, let them wade a little deeper, and weigh how they are vpholden by their faith that they fall not to ſhifts and vnlawfull meanes (when otherwiſe they ſee no way to eſcape) as the vnbeleeuers doe;1. Sam. 28.7. Iona. 2.8. 1. Sam. 25.37. Math. 27.5. Pſ. 73.13.14. Iona. 4.4. and namely, Saule with other, who waiting vponupon lying vanities, forſooke Gods goodneſſe: neither are ſtriken with deadneſſe, as Nabal when he heard heauy tidings; nor with diſtruſt and diſpaire, as Iudas; neither with complaining and murmuring at God, as his owne children ſometime when they are not vpholden by faith, are forced to doe. And yet if we hauehave deliuerance any other way, as by carnall pollicie, ſubtill ſhifts, or the like, (as I doe not deny, but by ſuch meanes it may come) it is ſo farre off that we ſhould count that a priuiledge or any matter of reioicing, that it maketh our affliction double, yea ten-fold thereby, which was in a maner none at all before.
And thus I conclude this other point, affirming, that as it is a ſingular prerogatiue to vsus, that we may be kept frō many troubles altogether, which other cannot be freed from: ſo it is no leſſe honour, priuiledge and fauour, that we may be deliuered out of many (which others ſhall not be deliuered from) as I hauehave ſhewed and prooued in this preſent point; but yet then onelyonly it is a priuiledge (as I hauehave ſaid) that we may be deliuered, not when we vſe vnlawfull meanes for it, but when we looke for it thus: [If God will: if he ſee it good and expedient] and therefore doe waite patiently vntill he ſend an iſſue: which grace the vnbeleeuers neuer hauehave, neither can hauehave: onelyonly Gods children are capable of it; but for all that, few euen of them inioy it, as either neuer hauing learned it ſoundly and cleerely, or not beleeuing that they may poſſiblie attaine to it: which cauſeth ſo much vnchearefulneſſe, diſcontent, &c. in our troubles, as grudging againſt God, yea & indirect ſhifts to auoid them; and much hollowneſſe, coldneſſe and negligence in the ſeruice of God and Chriſtian cariage of our ſelues before trouble commeth,Note. for feare that when it commeth we ſhall be inconſtant: whereas, if it were otherwiſe, much heauenly comfort might be reaped in our liues, which now is not.