The Victory of Patience, Chapter 1 – Chapter 2
CHAP. 1. Why the Lord suffers his children so to be traduced, and persecuted, by his and their enemies: and first, That it makes for the glory of his power.
IN the former Treatises I have proved, that there is a naturall enmity and a spiritual Antipathy betweene the Men of the World, and the children of GOD; betweene the seed of the Serpent, and the seed of the Woman. And that these two Regiments being the Subjects of two severall Kings, Satan and CHRIST, are governed by Lawes opposite and cleane contrary each to the other: whereby it comes to passe, that grievous temptations and persecutions doe alwayes accompany the remission of sins: That all men (as Austine speakes) are necessitated to miseries, which bend their course towards the Kingdome of Heaven. For godlinesse and temptation are such inseparable attendants on the same person, that a mans sins be no sooner forgiven, and hee rescued from Satan, but that Lion fomes, and roares, and bestirs himselfe to recover his losse. Neither can Gods love be injoyed, without Satans disturbance. Yea, the World and the Devill therefore hate us, because God hath chosen us. If a Convert comes home, the Angels welcome him with Songs, the devils follow him with uproare and fury, his old acquaintance with scornes and obloquie; for they thinke it quarrell enough that we will no longer runne with them to the same excesse of riot, 1 Peter 4.4. That we will no longer continue miserable with them: they envie to see themselves casheired, as persons infected with the plague will scoffe at such of their acquaintan…e, as refuse to consort with them as they have done formerly.
It is not enough for them to be bad themselves, except they raile at, and persecute the good. He that hath no grace himselfe, is vexed to see it in another: godly men are thornes in wicked mens eyes, as Iob was in the devils; because they are good, or because they are deerely beloved of God: If a mans person and wayes please God, the world will be displeased with both. If God be a mans friend, that will be his enemy; if they exercise their malice, it is where he shewes mercy: and indeed he refuseth to be an Abel, whom the malice of Cain doth not exercise (as Gregory speaks:) for it is an everlasting rule of the Apostles, He that is borne after the flesh, will persecute him that is borne after the Spirit, Gal. 4.29. not because he is evill, but because he is so much better than himselfe, 1 Iohn 3.12. Because his life is not like other mens, his wayes are of another fashion, Wisd. 2.15.
I have also shewed the Originall, continuance, properties, causes, ends, and what will be the issue of this enmity; and therein made it plaine, that as for the present, they suit like the Harpe and the Harrow, agree like two poisons in one stomack, the one being ever sick of the other: so, to reconcile them together, were to reconcile Fire and Water, the Wolfe and the Lambe, the Windes and the Sea together; yea, that once to expect it were an effect of frenzie, not of hope.
It remaines in the last place that I declare the Reasons, why
God permits his dearest children so to be afflicted?
The godly are so patient in their sufferings?
With other Grounds of comfort, and Vses: And first of the first.
The Reasons why God suffers the same, are chiefly sixteene; all tending to his glory, and their spirituall and everlasting good, benefit, and advantage: for the malignity of envie (if it be well answered) is made the evill cause of a good effect to us; God and our soules are made gainers by anothers sin.
The Reasons and Ends which tend to Gods glory, are three.
1 It makes for the glory of his Power.
2 It makes for the glory of his Wisdome.
3 It makes much for his glory, when those graces which he hath bestowed upon his children, do the more shine through imployment.
It maketh for the glory of his Power: Moses having declared, in what manner the Lord permitted Pharaoh to oppresse the children of Israel, more and more, still hardning his heart, shewes the reason of it in these words, That I may multiply my miracles and wonders in the Land of Aegypt, That I may lay my hand upon Pharaoh, and bring out mine Armies, even my people by great judgements, that my power may be knowne, and that I may declare my Name throughout all the world, Exod. 7.3.4. & 9.16.
When that multitude of Amonites and Moabites came to war against Iehosaphat and the Children of Israel, intending to cast them out of the Lords inheritance, and utterly destroy them, to the dishonour of God; the Lord by delivering them from that sore affliction gained to himselfe such honour and glory, That (as the Text saith) the feare of God was upon all the Kingdomes of the Earth, when they heard that the Lord had fought so against the enemies of Israel, 2 Chron. 20.29. The judgement was upon some, the feare came upon all; it was but a few mens losse, but it was all mens warning, 1 Cor. 10.11. When the Lord brought againe the Captivity of Sion (saith the Psalmist,) Then said they among the Heathen, the Lord hath done great things for them, Psal. 126.1, 2.
God provides on purpose mighty adversaries for his Church, that their humiliation may be the greater in sustaining▪ and his glory may be greater in deliverance: yea, though there bee Legions of devils, and every one stronger than many Legions of men, and more malicious than strong, yet Christs little Flock lives and prospers; and makes not this exceedingly for our Makers, for our Gardians glory?
Gods power is best made knowne in our weaknesse, 2 Cor. 12.9. Impossibilities are the best advancers of his glory; who not seldome hangs the greatest waits upon the smallest wyars, as he doth the earth upon nothing: For what wee least beleeve can bee done, we most admire being done; the lesser the meanes, and the greater the opposition, the more is the glory of him who by little meanes doth overcome a great opposition: yea, it is greater glory to God to turne evils into good by overmastering them, then wholly to take them away.
Now if …hy very enemies thus honour thee, how should thy friends (bought with thy precious bloud) glorifie thee? But the sweetest of honey lieth in the bottome. I passe therefore from the first to the second Reason.
CHAP. 2. That it makes for the glory of his Wisdome.
2 SEcondly, it maketh for the glory of his marvellous and singular wisdome when he turneth the malice of his enemies to the advantage of his Church. I would (saith Paul) yee understood brethren that the things which have come unto me, are turned rather to the furthering of the Gospell. So that my bonds in Christ are famous throughout all the judgement Hall, and in all other places, Insomuch that many of the brethren in the Lord, are imboldned through my bonds, and dare more frankely speake the word, Phil. 1.12, 13, 14. In all other cases a gentle resistance heightens the desire of the seeker; in this, the strength of opposition, meeting with as strong a faith, hath the same effect.
Againe, how admirably did the Lord turne the malice of Iosephs brethren when they sold him into Aegypt. And that devilish plot of Haman against Mordecay and his people, …o the good of his Church in generall, and of Ioseph and Mordecay in particular? Gen. 45.8.11. Hester 9.1, 2, 3. Their plots to overthrow Ioseph and Mordecay, were turned by a Divine Providence to the onelyonly meanes of advantaging them. And herein was that of the Psalmist verified, Surely the rage of man shall turne to thy praise, Psal. 76.10. It is not so much glory to God to take away wicked men, as to use their evill to his owne holy purposes; how soone could the Commander of Heaven and Earth rid the world of bad members? But so should hee lose the praise of working good by evill instruments: it suffiseth that the Angels of God resist their actions while their persons continue; God (many times) workes by contrary meanes: as Christ restored the Blind-man to his sight, with clay and spittle; he caused the Israelites to grow with depression, with persecution to multiply, Exod. 1.12. The bloud of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church, Persecution enlargeth the bounds of it, like as Palmes oppressed, and Camomile trod upon, mount the more, grow the faster. Tis as easiy for God to work without meanes, as with them; and against them, as by either; but assuredly it makes more for the Makers glory, that such an admirable harmony should be produced out of such an infinite discord. The World is composed of foure Elements, and those be contraries: the Yeare is quartered into different seasons: the minde of man is a mixture of disparities, as joy, sorrow, hope, feare, love, hate, and the like: the body doth consist and is nourished by contraries, how divers even in effect aswell as taste (wherein variety hits the humour of all) are the Birds and Beasts that feed us? And how divers againe are those things that feed them? How many severall qualities have the Plants that they brouze upon? which all mingled together, what a well temepred Sallad do they make?
Thus you see that though faith be above reason, yet is there a reason to bee given of our faith. O what a depth of wisdome may lye wrapt up in those passages, which to our weak apprehensions may seeme ridiculous!