The Marks of the Children of God and their Comforts in Affliction, Chapter 8
That the Children of God hauehave alwaies been afflicted, and yet ſtill beloued of God.
CHAP. 8.
THis that the Holie Ghoſt hath fore ſpoken, that the condition of the Children of GOD is to bee afflicted, hath by experience been found to bee true in all ages, whether we conſider the people and Church of GOD in the whole bodie, or ſpeake of it particularly in the members of it.Examples of the afflictions of the Church during the time of the olde teſtament. How long and greeuouſly was the people of Iſrael afflicted in Aegipt? Moſes reciteth, that their life was vexed bitterly, thorough grieuous ſeruitude, and that all the ſeruice wherein they ſerued was tyrannous, Pharaoh intending to deſtroy them,Exo. 1.14. and to roote them out by trauaile and exceſſiue labour. And not ſo being able to come to his purpoſe, neither yet by the commaundement made to the midwiues,Exo. 1.18 to ſlay ſecretly all the male children which ſhould be borne: at the laſt he appointed certeine of the Aegiptians his ſubiects to bee their hangmen openly.Exo. 1.22. Whereby alſo when Moſes was borne, his parents hauing hid him ſome time with great feare, they were at the laſt conſtrained (for the auoiding of the furie of theſe hangmen) to put him out into the brinke of the riuer, as abandoning him vntounto death. Could there be anie more barbarous crueltie vſed to anie people? And yet, did they ſtill continue to bee grieuouſlie afflicted foure ſcore yeares after the birth of Moſes. So that it is not without a cauſe that the Lord called Aegipt the houſe of bondage,Exo. 20.2. Deut. 4.20. and an iron fornace. The which alſo he confirmeth, appearing to Moſes in the middeſt of a burning buſh, ſaying,Exo. 3.2. I hauehave ſeene the affliction of my people. They were not ſo ſoone in the way to depart out of Aegipt, but they wer purſued by the Armie of Pharaoh, Exod. 14.9.hauing the ſea before them, & the mountaines on their ſides, and ſo ſeeing preſent death before their eyes. Did they eſcape the hands of Pharaoh in paſsing ouer the ſea on drie foote? Then they entred into the horrible and fearefull Deferts, and going three dayes through the Deſertes, they found no water, the firſt that they founde was ſo bitter,Exo. 15.22. that they coulde not drinke it; They were aſſayled of enemies, vexed with fierie Serpents, and inflammations vnaccuſtomed, and wandred vp and downe fortie yeares in thoſe Deſerts, liuing by Manna and water.Num. 21.6.
In the time of the Iudges, how ofte was the people of god broght vnderunder the cruell tyranie of diuers enemies? VnderUnder the raigne of Manaſſes King of Iuda, there was ſuch perſecution againſt the faithfull,2. King. 21.16. that Ieruſalem was filled with bloud from the one ende to the other. But aboue all, it was vnkindlie handled both before and during the Captiuitie of Babylon. 2. King. 25 Ier. 39. and 52.The Citie of Ieruſalem was taken and ſacked, the Temple of God ſpoyled, burnt and deſtroyed. Hee that eſcaped the peſtilence, famine, and the ſword, was tranſported into Babylon among the Idolatours their Enemies, and plunged into all miſeries and calamities, and that by the ſpace of three-ſcore and tenne yeares,Ier. 25.12. as it was foretolde. The Prophet Eſai doth ſufficientlie ſet before vsus their miſerable eſtate, calling the Iewes perſons deſpiſed,Eſa. 46.7. an abhominable people, ſeruaunts to Lordes, wormes of Iacob, the dead men of Iſrael,Eſa. 41.14. people afflicted, ouerwhelmed with tempeſts,Eſa. 54.11. without anie comfort. Are they returned out of this captiuitie into Iudea? There they were vext of their enemies: & aboue al, how many horrible cruelties did thei indure by Antiochus, Herod, and other tyrants.
Let vsus alſo ſee what complaints the people of God make of the calamities that befell them by the Aſſirians, or (as other thinke) by this Antiochus, ſaying: O God the heathen hauehave entred into thine inheritance,Pſalm. 79. they hauehave polluted thy holie temple, and hauehave brought Ieruſalē to a heape of ſtones. They hauehave giuē the dead bodies of thy ſeruants for meat to the foules of the ayre, and the fleſh of thy Saints to the beaſtes of the earth: they hauehave ſhed their bloud like water on euerie ſide of Ieruſalem, and there was none to burie them. We hauehave been a reproach to our neighbours, and a mockerie, and a deriſion to thoſe that are about vsus. Againe,Pſalm. 44. Thou haſt put vsus (O Lord) farre from thee as ſheepe to be eaten, and thou haſt ſcattered vsus among the heathen. Thou haſt ſold thy people without gaine, and doeſt not increaſe their price. Thou haſt ſmittē vsus downe into the place of dragons, & haſt couered vsus with the ſhadowe of death. Alſo comparing the church to a vine:Pſalm. 80. wherefore (ſaith he) haſt thou broken downe her hedges, that all they that go by pluck of her grapes? The boare out of the wood hath deſtroyed it, & the wild beaſts of the field hauehave eaten it vp. It is burnt with fire & cut down. To be ſhort, we may behold the eſtate of the Church in theſe words: Let Iſrael now ſay,Pſal. 129. They hauehave often times afflicted me from my youth, they hauehave often times vexed me. The plowers hauehave plowed vponupon my backe, & made long furrowes. In like manner, after the aſcenſion of Ieſus Chriſt into heauen,Examples of the afflictions of the Church ſince the time of the newe teſtament. hath not the Church been, and that continuallie, perſecuted, and extreamelie afflicted: as may appeare by the booke of the Acts of the Apoſtles, and by the Eccleſiaſticall hiſtories, in the verie which, a man may note ten general perſecutions, which were kindled in al the quarters of the earth, by the publike decrees of the Emperours, beſides thoſe that were particular, which were made in diuers places by the Gouernors, or ſeditious of the people. It is a horrible thing to thinke, and almoſt incredible, of the bloud which was then ſhed, & of the deſolations of Cities, yea and of ſome whole Prouinces. For as the Church was then ſpred ouer all the world, ſo in all the kingdomes of the earth this furie of perſecution was kindled. It was enough for any to confeſſe that they were Chriſtians, and they ſhould be ſlaine by thouſands. Among other perſecutions made by Hadrian Emperour of Rome in the 9. yeare of his Empire, he cauſed ten thouſand Chriſtians to be crucified in Armenia. Henrie of Erford.Diocleſian and Maximinian hauing enterpriſed to conſtraine the Chriſtians, by al manner of torments and cruelties,Oroſ lib. 7. chap. 25. Vrſperg. to renounce their religion, and to ſacrifice to the Idols, they forced them after a faſhion ſo furious, that in the ſpace of 17. daies there were 30000. put to death, and as manie or more chained and carried to the mettalls, a torment reſembling after a ſort, the puniſhment of the gallies at this day.Vincent in his mirrour lib. 12. chap. In thoſe daies ſuch crueltie was exerciſed at Trenios vppon the riuer Moſel, that the riuer was red with the bloud of the Chriſtians beeing ſlaine. The booke intituled Faſciculus temporum, witneſſeth that the Chriſtians that were in England, were all put to death.Euſe. lib. 8. chap. 11. To bee ſhort, whole townes were burned with their inhabitants, for the hatred of Chriſtian religion. As touching the varietie of the ſorts of tormens and cruelties, the diuell ſurmounted himſelfe in deuiſing them: Some were cut in peeces: Some were tormēted with ſtripes of rods euen to the bones: Some were caſt to the Lions, to the Beares, and to the Tygers to bee deuoured: Some were couered with beaſts skins to be torne in peeces of wolues and doggs: Some were burned quicke: Some were broyled vponupon gridirons: Some were crucified: Some had their bodies dropped on with burning pitch and boyling lead: Some were drawne vponupon the pauement of the ſtreetes: Some were daſhed againſt the ſtones: Some were tumbled downe headlong from high places, & into riuers: Some they ſmothered with ſmoake proceeding from a ſmall fire: Some had their intrailes pearced with ſharpe ſtakes: Some were throwne into the Lime kils: Some were ſlaine with the ſtripes of ſtaues and lead: Some had ſharpe reedes thruſt betweene their nailes and their fleſh: Some had red burning plates put vnderunder their armepits: Some were ſcorched quicke, and then ſprinckled with vineger, or powdred with ſalt: Some were ſet vp quicke vppon forks, and ſuffered to die of hunger or thirſt. And thoſe that could eſcape into the deſerts & mountaines, either they died of hunger, or of thirſt or of cold: or they were deuoured of wild beaſts, or ſlaine of theeues, or caried away ſlaues to the Barbarians. Now, although theſe examples ought to ſuffice to make vsus vnderſtand what the condition of the Church hath alwaies been, and ſo conſequentlie of the children of God: we will yet notwithſtanding, ſet forth ſome particular examples of thoſe that hauehave been the moſt excellent ſeruants and children of God. Abel hauing offered vntounto GOD a more excellent ſacrifice than Cain, Examples of particular members of the Church afflicted in the time of the old teſtament. Gen. 4. Mal. 1.2. Gen. 28.and ſo receiuing the teſtimonie that he was iuſt, was miſchieuouſlie & traiterouſlie murthered by his brother. Among the Patriarches, let vsus conſider the afflictions of Iacob beloued of GOD: After he had been long time in feare of the threatnings of his brother Eſau, at the laſt he was conſtrained to forſake his fathers houſe: Being with Laban his vnckle,Gen. 31. he ſerued him the ſpace of 20. yeares, feeding his flockes, induring the cold of the night, and the heate of the day: In the meane time he receiued ſo manie iniuries at the hands of his vnckle, that he reſolued with his wiues the daughters of Laban, to ſteale away from him, and to depart without bidding him farewell. He being thus (as it were) fled, he was purſued of Laban prouoked to anger, & determining to vſe him violentlie, if God (as himſelfe confeſſeth) had not forbidden him. Hauing eſcaped his hand, he fell into a newe and horrible feare,Gen. 32. for the comming and meeting of his brother Eſau, fearing (as he ſheweth by the praier which he made to GOD) leaſt he would ſlay both him, with his wiues and children.Gen. 35.22. His eldeſt ſonne committed adulterie, and that not with a ſtraunge woman, but with his fathers owne concubine. His daughter is rauiſhed and defiled.Gen. 34. His children prophane circumciſion the ſacred ſeale of the couenant of God, making it to ſerue to murther, as they did, al the inhabitants of Sichem, Gen. 35.who asked nothing of thē but friendſhip. By this crueltie more than barbarous, they expoſed their father, themſelues, and all their houſe, to manifeſt daunger of vtter rooting out by their neighbours, if GOD had not held them backe. His owne children hauing ſold their brother Ioſeph, they made their father beleeue that he was deuoured of wild beaſts.Gen. 37. Being preſſed with famine, he ſent his ſonnes into Aegypt to get corne:Gen. 42. whereby Simeon being kept priſoner, he vnderſtood that there was no hope of his deliuerie, but in ſending his yongeſt ſonne Beniamin: which was, as it were, to take away his ſoule. What manner of life then is this of the good Patriarch, but continuall anguiſhes and afflictions, as himſelfe confeſſeth, ſaying vntounto Pharao, Gen. 47.9.that the daies of his pilgrimage were fewe and euill? Among the Prophets let vsus take Moſes, to whome GOD ſhewed himſelfe more familiarlie. When he was yet a little infant, he was put foorth and abandoned vntounto death:Exod. 2. beeing after come to the age of fortie yeares, and feeling that God had ordained him to deliuer his people Iſrael, Act. 7.25. Exod. 2.he began to exerciſe his vocation in ſlaying the Aegyptian: wherevpon he was conſtrained to forſake the Court of Pharao, and to flie. And withdrawing him ſelfe into the land of Madian, he ſerued Iethro, feeding his ſheepe the ſpace of fortie yeares: He, I ſay, that was taken for the ſonne of Pharaos daughter, that might hauehave enioyed the riches and pleaſures of Aegypt. Being after returned into Aegypt by the cō mandement of GOD, to deliuer the people of Jſrael, incontinently ſo ſoon as he began to exerciſe his charge in ſpeaking to Pharao, the Jſraelites being more afflicted than before, tooke occaſion to murmur againſt him. Hauing conducted the people to the red ſea,Exod. 14.1 againe they roſe againſt him with dangerous complaints. And ſinallie, hauing retired themſelues into the deſert, he was in continuall trouble, anguiſh and torment, for the plaints and murmuring of the people, for the enuie of his owne brother and ſiſter: but aboue all,Num. 12.1. for the vengeances that God executed vponupon his people, and ſpeciallie for their ſinnes, as whē they made the golden Calfe:Exo. 32 19. And this hauing continued the ſpace of 40. yeres,Deut. 34. at the laſt he died in the deſert without entring into the land of promiſe. Wee may to this purpoſe ſet downe many other notable examples, as of Iob, Dauid, and others. But as euerie one may note their great and ſundrie afflictions by the reading of the ſacred Hiſtories, ſo it ſhall ſuffice to ſet foorth this which the Apoſtle writeth to the Hebrues, Heb. 11.35.ſpeaking of diuers of the faithfull, and ſeruants of GOD: Some (ſaith he) were racked, & would not be deliuered, to the end that they might obtaine a better reſurrection. Other were tried with mockings and ſtripes: yea and by bands and impriſonment. They were ſtoned, they were hewen aſunder, they were tempted, they were ſlaine with the ſword, they wandered vp and downe in ſheepe skinnes and in goates skinnes, being deſtitute, afflicted and tormented, of whome the world was not worthie, wandering in deſerts and in mountaines, and in deepe pits and caues of the earth. As touching the examples of the children and ſeruants of God,Examples of the children & ſeruants of God afflicted vnderunder the newe Teſtamēt. which hauehave been ſince the comming of Chriſt in the fleſh, he alone maie and ought to ſuffice, for as much as wee muſt bee faſhioned like to his image, and followe his ſteps. Now, this Prince of glorie making his entrance into this world, created and maintained by him, found no place in the Inne, it pleaſed him to bee borne in a ſtable, and to be laid in a manger in ſtead of a cradle.Luk. 2. By and by after Herode ſought to ſlay him:Matth. 2. for the which cauſe he was carried into Aegypt by Ioſeph and Marie. And what pouertie (trow ye) indured he there? Is he returned into Iudea? Mark. 6.3.there he paſſed his life vntill he was 30. yeares old, in the abiect and baſe eſtate of a Carpenter: Did he begin his charge?Matth. 4. after hee had faſted fortie daies and fortie nights, he was hungrie, and had not whereof to eate in the deſert. During theſe fortie daies and fortie nights, he was aſſailed of Satan and tempted, and ſinallie indured thoſe three mightie aſſaults recited of the Euangeliſts. Hee ſuffered pouertie,Luk. 9.58. not hauing one pillowe to reſt his head on, and liued by almes.
Hee was violently preſſed with iniuries,Luk. 8.3. being called glutton, drunkard, deceiuer, and one poſſeſſed with diuells.Mat. 11.19 He was carried violentlie to the top of a mountain to throw him downe headlong.Mat. 27.63. Hee was betraied of one of his owne Apoſtles: He was taken priſoner,Ioh. 7.20. Luk. 4.29. Matth. 26. &. 27. ſpet on, buffeted, beaten, mocked, ſcourged, crowned with thornes. He was condemned to die, and hanged vponupon a croſſe betweene two theeues. And beſides theſe perſecutions and outward torments, what anguiſhes did he feele, when he ſwet bloud and water for diſtreſſe and feare? When hee caſt his face vponupon the earth, & when he cried on the croſſe, My God, my God why haſt thou forſaken me? let vsus adde to this example,Act. 9.16. that of S. Paule, that veſſell of election. When he was conuerted, Ieſus Chriſt ſaid vntounto him, that he would ſhewe him what he ſhould ſuffer for his name. And ſo it came to paſſe, as he himſelfe doth brieflie recite, making compariſon of his owne perſon, with ſome of the falſe Apoſtles:2 Cor. 11.23. Are they the miniſters of Chriſt? I am aboue them, in trauailes more aboundant, in ſtripes more than they, in priſons more, in deaths often. Of the Iewes I hauehave receiued (ſaith he) fiue times fortie ſtripes ſauing one. I hauehave been three times beaten with rods, once I was ſtoned, three times I ſuffered ſhipwracke: night and day hauehave I bin in the deepe ſea, in iornies often, in perills of floods, in perills of theeues, in perills of mine owne nation, in perills of the Gentiles, in perills in the Citie, in perills in the deſerts, in perills in the ſea, in perills among falſe brethren, in labour & trauaile, in watching often, in hunger & in thirſt, in faſting often, in cold and in nakednes: beſides the things that happen to me without, there is that which combereth me euerie day, euen the care that I hauehave of all the Churches. Now,The vſe of the afflictions of the church, and of the members thereof. let vsus applie theſe exāples to our purpoſe. When the Church is perſecuted, and the members thereof afflicted, the fleſh calleth in doubt, whether we bee the true Church and children of God, or no. But what afflictions indure we, that the moſt excellent ſeruants and children of God hauehave not ſuffered before vsus, as it appeareth by the examples here before alledged. And where is it that we find, that troubles & the croſſe are markes of the falſe Church, and of the children of the world, and not rather the contrarie, as it hath been ſhewed aboue? The people of Iſrael beeing ſo grieuouſlie afflicted in the captiuitie of Babilon, and that for their ſinnes, God by Eſay calleth them, his welbeloued one,Eſay. 41.8. & 4….…3. and his elect: and proteſteth that hee can leſſe forget them, than the mother her child. And that he had them grauen in his hands, hauing them alwaies before his eyes. And ſpeaking of them to Ezechiel, he ſaith:Ezec. 11.15 Thy brethren, thy brethren, the men of thy kindred. He contenteth not himſelfe to call them once his brethren, but doubleth the word, ſaying: Thy brethren, thy brethren, and addeth, men of thy kindred, that he ſhould not thinke, becauſe they were in this miſerable condition, that they were caſt off of GOD, but that he ſhould acknowledge them for his brethren. In like manner, the Holie ghoſt ſpeaking of thoſe that were murthered and caſt to wild beaſtes,Pſalm. 79.2 calleth them the ſeruants of God and his faithfull ones. The Apoſtle to the Hebrues ſpeaking of the faithfull which were tormented and afflicted after ſundrie manners, and cruellie put to death, ſaith:Heb. 11.3…. That the world was not worthie of them. It is as if he ſhould ſay, that they being the welbeloued children of God, and brethren of Ieſus Chriſt, the world full of abominable people, was not worthie that they ſhould be conuerſant and be any more among them. And ſo farre off was it that S. Paule entred into doubt of himſelfe for his troubles, that contrariwiſe he alledged them to prooue that he was a more excellēt ſeruant of Chriſt thā the others,2. Cor. 11.23. hauing indured more than they al. And if this ſentēce pronounced by the father touching Ieſus Chriſt:Mat. 17.5. This is my welbeloued ſonne in whom I am well pleaſed, bee true, euen then when he ſwet bloud & water for diſtreſſe, and then when he thought he was forſaken of GOD,Luk. 9.31. ſo as being in this hell, he continued ſtill the dearelie beloued ſonne of GOD: what occaſion hauehave we then, when wee are afflicted with our head, to doubt of our adoption? Let vsus ſet before vsus the great number of faithfull which were before the throne & in the preſence of the Lambe, clothed with lōg white robes, holding palmes of victorie in their hands: and let vsus vnderſtand by the teſtimonie of the holie Ghoſt,Reue. 7.9. who they be. Theſe are they (ſaith he) which are come from great tribulation, and hauehave waſhed their long robes, & hauehave made them white in the bloud of the Lambe. Therfore are they before the throne of God, and ſerue him day and night in his temple. And he which ſitteth vppon the throne will ouer ſhadowe them: they ſhall neither hauehave thirſt nor hunger, and the Sunne ſhall beate vponupon thē no more, neither any heate: for the Lambe which is in the midſt of the throne ſhall gouerne them, and leade them to the fountains of liuing waters, and God ſhall wipe away all teares from their eyes. When S. Peter exhorted his diſciples to conſtancie, ſaying:1. Pet. 5.9. That they knew well, that the ſame afflictions were accompliſhed in the companie of their brethren which were in the worlde. And when Ieſus Chriſt ſaid to his Apoſtles:Mat. 5.12 ye are happie when you ſuffer iniuries and reproches, for ſo hauehave they perſecuted the Prophets which were before you. The intention neither of Chriſt nor of Saint Peter was to ſet before them the comfort of miſerable perſons, as it is ſaide, to hauehave companions in their miſeries, but rather to ſhew them, that the afflictions which they indured were proper to the ſeruants and children of GOD, and that therefore they ought to comfort themſelues, beeing honoured with the liuerie of their other brethren and members of Chriſt, yea, the moſt excellent ſeruaunts of God, as the Prophets were.Rom. 8.28 And indeede ſeeing thoſe whom God had foreknowne, thoſe hee hath predeſtinate to be faſhioned like vntounto the Image of Chriſt. Let vsus not doubt (for ſo Saint Paule ſaith) that it is a true ſaying, that if we die with him,2. Tim. 2. 11 we ſhall liue alſo with him, and if wee ſuffer with him, wee ſhall alſo raigne with him. Let vsus remember the ſaying of Chriſt to his Apoſtles:Iho. 15.20 The ſeruant is not aboue his Maſter, If they hauehave perſecuted mee, they will alſo perſecute you, if the world hate you, know that they hauehave hated mee before you. And this ſhould be a thing monſtrous to ſee,Iho. 15.18 vnderunder a head crowned with thornes, members handied delicatelie. Shall wee doubt then of our adoption, beeing called vntounto the ſame condition which the welbeloued Sonne of GOD tooke vponupon him going to the inioying of his glorie? Will wee refuſe to follow him, aſcending vp by the croſſe into his Kingdome? Hee hath ſuffered (ſayth Saint Peter).1. Pet. 2.21. Leauing vsus an example that wee ſhould followe his ſteps. Let vsus not then thinke it ſtrange, as he faith in an other place,1. Pet. 4.12. when wee are as in a fornace, for our triall, as if an vnwonted thing had come vntounto vsus. Butrather in as much as wee communicate with the afflictions of Chriſt; Let vsus reioyce, that when his glorie ſhall appeare wee alſo may reioyce wath gladnes. Now let vsus vnderſtand how he addeth, that ſuffering iniurie for Chriſtes ſake, wee are happy, foraſmuch as the ſpirit of God, which is the ſpirit of glory reſteth in vsus, and the feeling which we hauehave, cauſeth vsus to glorifie him, though of the blinde worlde he is euill ſpoken of. Seeing then the heauenly father hath vouchſafed vsus ſuch louelove,1. Ihon. 3.1 that wee are called the ſons of God, although the world perſecute vsus, becauſe it knoweth neither the Father, nor vsus: Let vsus ſaie boldlie with S. Ihon, We are now the children of God: And although it dooth not yet appeare what we ſhal be, yet we knowe (as hee alſo addeth) that when Chriſt ſhall appeare we ſhall be like vntounto him, for we ſhall ſee him as hee is.Col. 3.3. Let vsus be contented to be dead in this worlde, and to hauehave our life hid with Chriſt in God, beeing aſſured, that when Chriſt our life ſhall appeare, we ſhall alſo appeare in glorie. If the Diuell will gather of our afflictions, that we are not the children of GOD; let vsus ſay boldlie that he is a lyar, or let him firſt plucke out of the ranke of God his children, the Martyres, the Apoſtles, the Prophets, and other of the beſt and moſt approoued children and ſeruants of GOD, which hauehave beene afflicted as well as wee, and more than wee: Euen the holie Virgine and Chriſt himſelfe. But rather ſeeing that wee beare their liuerie, let vsus acknowledge our ſelues the children of GOD with them, and let vsus ſay (with a holie reſolution) with Saint Paule, Rom. 8.38.that there is neyther death, nor life, nor Angells, nor principalities, nor powers, nor thinges preſent, nor thinges to come, nor heighth, nor depth, nor anie other creature which can ſeparate vsus from the louelove of GOD, which he beareth vsus in Ieſus Chriſt our Lorde.