The Promises, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
How the godly may comfort themselues against Reproches.
HItherto of the cō forts against al outward afflictions in the generall. Now it followeth, that I instance in reproches, & aduersaries.
For reproches; it is euident, there is neede of Men need comfort against reproches.consolations, more specially against them, because naturally men stumble at it, when they see Religion censured and scorned, and it hardens many men, when their hearts are infected with this preiudice, that they heare this way eueryevery where ilspokē of. Somtimes men are dismaid at the disgrace of sincerity in the generall. Sometimes they are troubled for what they themselues do suffer, or may be in danger to suffer. Sometimes the weake are scandalized, when they heare or see what others suffer. And it is manifest, that the best men hauehave bin put to a great plunge when they hauehave beene laden with reproches. This makes Ieremy so vnquiet, Ier. 18. 18, 21. Now there Thou maist comfort thy selfe in the consideratiō.are many wayes, by which a Christian may establish his owne heart against all the scornes and reproches of the men of this world.
1 First, if they consider that God takes notice of all the wrongs of that Of the notice God takes of them.kinde done vntounto them. Thus Dauid, O Lord, thou hast known my reproch, and my shame, and my dishonor, mine aduersities are all before thee, Psal. 69. 19. It easeth his heart, but to talke with GOD, and tell him, that he knowes his dishonour.
2. Secondly, it is an increase Of Gods great account of vsus.of the comfort, if wee further consider that God fauors vsus, & accounts vsus deare & honorable, whatsoeuer the wicked thinke of it: and this argument the Lord himselfe pleades withall, Esay 43. 4, 5. If Gods face shine vponupon his seruant, what cares Dauid for the reproches of all sorts of men, euen of his neighbours and familiar acquaintance. It is enough to him, that his best and next neighbour and friend respects him, Psalm 31. 11. 12. 16.
3 Thirdly, thou maist Of thy good report among the godly.comfort thy selfe by opposing the good report thou hast amongst the godly a gainst the reproches, with which wicked men pursue thee. As thou goest throgh ill report, so doest thou through good report: thou hast honour as well as dishonour, and it is a great recompence to obtain good report amongst the godly, 2. Corinth. 6. 18. Hebr. 11. 2.
4 Fourthly, were it so Of thy praise thou shalt hauehave in the day of Christthat thou hadst no honour in thy name on earth, and that well-doing were in no request at all: yet this should comfort thee abundantly, that thy faith and sincerity, and innocency, will be found vntounto praise, and honour, and glory in the reuelation of Iesus Christ. Thou shalt hauehave vnspeakeable praise at that day, 1. Pet. 1. 7.
5 Fiftly, the same persons Of praise from them that now reproach thee.that now reproach thee, may be so turned about by the power and grace of God, that in the day of their visitation they will admire thee, and glorifie God for thee, 1. Peter. 2. 12.
6 Sixtly, we should be Of the small things thou sufferest.the lesse troubled with our reproches, because this is not to resist vntounto bloud. God deales fauourably with vsus. If we had liued in the daies of our Fathers, when to professe the Gospell of Christ, had beene occasion of terrible death; then wee might hauehave had some pretence of greeuance. But now in these daies, when the hurt is done only with the tongue of infamous men, it is a great weakenesse to bee disquieted, Hebr. 12. 3.
7 Seuenthly, let vsus looke Of the example of Christ.vponupon the author and finisher of our Faith, euen He was exposed to these indignities, and yet for the glory set before him, despised the shame, & endured the crosse, and is now crowned in heauen, Hebr. 12. 2. What should the seruant complaine of, when his Lord and Master is called Beelzebub?
8 Eightly, Dauid easeth himselfe, by considering Of the cause of thy reproches.the cause of his suffering. For thy sake (saith hee to God) hauehave I borne reproch, shame hath couered my face: The zeale of thy house hath eaten me vp, and the reproches of them that reproched thee, hauehave fallen vponupon mee: when I wept and chastened my soule with fasting, that was to my reproach, Psalme. 69. 7. 9. 10.
Ninthly, why should we Of the condition of all the godly.be troubled at that which is the lot of all the Saints? We hauehave heard of Dauid before, how he was slandered by many, and on eueryevery side, Psalm. 31. 12. 13. Ieremy complaines, that they consulted how to deuise deuices against him, and how they might smite him with the tongue, Ierem. 18. 18. False witnesses were suborned against Stephen, and that in case of Religion, Acts 6. 11. 13. 14. Many & grieuous complaints were laid against Paul, Act. 25. 7. Yea, it was the condition of all the Apostles, and the principall men of the Christian world, to be made a spectacle to men and Angels, and to be accounted forlorne, and as the off-scowring of all things, 1. Cor. 4. 9. 10. 13. And our Sauiour Christ supposeth the case of any blessed man, that men may say all manner of euill sayings of them, Matth. 5. 12, &c.
10 Tenthly, The Spirit of God and of glory doth rest Of the presence and assistance of the holy Ghost.vponupon you, 1. Pet. 4. 14. Yee hauehave the Spirit of God in you, what need you care, what the world accounts of you? you hauehave aboundant treasure in your harts, and you hauehave an heroycall or diuine spirit in you, and therfore why are you troubled about such meane things? and your patience and their rage, is a signe you are in a happy condition, and hauehave Gods spirit, & the spirit of God, which in you, is a spirit of glory, and leades you to a better life. And therefore seeing you are but trauelers here, why turne you againe at the barking of eueryevery dog? yea, these reproches signifie, that wicked men doe see some glory of God shiuing in you, which they striue by all meanes to vilifie & despise, being vext in their hearts at it.
11 God will certainely Of the condition of those men that doe reproch thee.take an order with all that reproch his people. For first, he will reckon all their reproches, as cast out against himselfe; and therefore will indite them of blasphemie, Psal. 74. Col. 3. 8 1. Peter. 4. 14 1. Corinth. 4. 13.
Secondly, in his due time hee will put to silence those lying lips which speake grieuous things proudly, and contemptuously against the righteous, Psalme 31. 18.
Thirdly, all that were incensed against the godly, shall bee rewarded with shame, which GOD will powre vponupon them for the cōtempt with which they hauehave dishonoured his seruants, Esay 41. 11. 14. And to conclude, God will certainely bring them to iudgment for these things, they must make their accounts before the Iudge of the quicke and dead, that speake euill of other men, because they will not runne with them into the same excesse of riot, 1. Pet. 4. 4. 5.
12 Lastly, God wil prouide Of the course God will take for thy clearing and comfort.for his own innocent seruants. His thoughts are not to let his people be shamed, Micah 4. 11. 12. and besides, hee will bring forth their righteousnesse as the light, they shall be cleered, Psalm. 37. 6. Iob 5. 15. and they shall receiue double for all their shame, Isa. 61. 7. and their reward shall bee great in heauen, Math. 5. 12. For which reason Moses accounted the reproches of Gods people to be greater riches, then the treasures of Egypt, Hebr. 11. 26. and in the meane time there is a hiding place with God from the strife of tongues, Psalm. 31. 20.