The Dead Saint Speaking to Saints and Sinners Living, Treatise 6 · Argument 5
5. Argument.
5. The fifth Argument to induce us to hope, that God will now do a wonder for us, is taken from the Conſideration of thoſe great things, which God hath promiſed to do for his Church and People, in this latter end of the world.
Indeed God hath done much for his People in all ages of the World; you may ſee his Wonders upon record. But all theſe are nothing in compariſon of thoſe, which hee hath ingaged himſelf to do for them hereafter.
The World is the ſtage, on which God will act all his Wonders; and it cannot bee long before this frame bee diſſolved, and this ſtage bee taken down. If Saint Johns time were the laſt hour, ſurely ours are the laſt minute.
But yet God will not take down the ſtage, till all hath been acted, which hee hath ingaged himſelf to do for his Church.
Now I ſay, God hath ingaged himſelf to deſtroy that man of ſinne: to make his Church glorious.
Read at your leaſure; how much God hath promiſed to do for his Church, in Iſa. 60. throughout, Glorious Promiſes, which though they had a gradual accompliſhment in the firſt Preaching of the Goſpel, yet not ſo fully as the Words there hold out, which yet muſt bee made good, and therefore it is yet to be expected.
Hitherto the Church hath been buried up under reproach, ſcorn, and perſecution: hitherto ſufferings, Priſons, Fires, ſtakes, they have been the Portion of the Church.
As yet, (though we have had our Lucida intervalla, our Reſpites, and Breathings) The Church of God hath been, like Noahs Ark, toſſing, and fluctuating upon the Billows, and devouring waves of troubles and Perſecutions. And the Saints under the Altar, the blood of the ſlain, crys, How long Lord, holy and true! though they ſay, How long, yet they ſay, Holy and true: They give God the glory of his truth and faithfulneſſe. Though hee defer the accompliſhment, of what he hath promiſed, yet hee is true of his promiſe.
And hath God ingaged himſelf to make his Churches glorious, and that before the end of all things? And is the day ſo neer to an End? And is God faithfull, is hee true of his Promiſe? why this may ſomething perſwade with us, that notwithſtanding the preſent oppoſitions, and troubles, God is now comming in with mercy and deliverance to his Church and People.
And God hath not left us without home-hopes, that the work is begun — That mighty Spirit of Prayer, which God hath poured out upon his People; That increaſe of light and knowledge, the weakning of the man of ſinne, in thoſe two Limbs, whereon hee hath ſtood ſo ſtrongly: Germany and Spain: that numerous increaſe of converts, within theſe few years: All which are fore-running ſigns of the Riſing Condition of the Church. God doth not uſe to beget Children to the Murderers; nor to increaſe the number of his People, to fatten the ſword of the enemy.
Indeed, when God hath intended to bring judgements upon a People, Hee hath taken his People away: hee hath leſſened the number, as hee tells us Iſa. 57.1. Hee takes them away from the evil to come: but hee never increaſeth them againſt judgements. As the leſſening preſageth judgement: ſo, when he increaſeth them, it is a preſage of mercy.
Every one, that is now brought in, every Convert we have, is a Pledge to this Nation, that God will nor deſtroy this Nation. Nay, it is an evidence, that God will do great things for us.
Act. 7.17. It is ſaid, When the time of Promiſe drew nigh, the people grew and multiplyed in Egypt. Their growing was a ſign of their riſing: their increaſe diſcovered the promiſed mercy was not far off.
And theſe are the hopeful ſigns, that the day of the Churches redemption draws nigh, and is even at the doors. As Chriſt ſaid of the fig-tree, when you ſee the Fig-tree bud, and put forth her leaves; know that Summer is nigh; So when you ſee theſe things, you may know, that the Churches Redemption is at hand. God is riſen upon his throne, and will not ſit down (if our ſins do not make him repent) till hee have made his Church glorious in the earth.
And now having told you my thoughts, and that which perſwades with me to hope, that God will do a wonder for us, yet I muſt tell you again (that you may not bee diſcouraged with the ſad appearance of things) that wee may ſuffer many throws, many pangs, much oppoſition, and perhaps ſome bloud, before theſe things. God will ſave us From trouble, by trouble: He will bring us through a Sea, and through the wilderneſſe unto Canaan. Yet I will ſay as Joſhuah did, Numb. 14.8. If the Lord hath any delight in us, hee will bring us into this Land.
God ſeldome doth great things, without great commotions. Paul and Silas were not delivered out of Priſon, but by an Earthquake. Though it bee grievous to ſee, yet it is that wee fear. And wee muſt not forſake a good cauſe, becauſe of oppoſition. This were to leap, out of the ſhip, becauſe the winds blow: to bee impatient of the Ark, becauſe the billows riſe: to ſeek our ſafety in the midſt of Danger.
This aſſure your ſelves: Though Earth and hell ſhould fight againſt you: your ſafety lyes on Gods ſide, in Gods cauſe: and there is no ſafety elſewhere.
Theſe things I ſuggeſt to you, by way of Cautional adviſe: that when you ſee theſe things, you may not be troubled. As Chriſt ſaid to his Diſciples, Theſe things I tell you before, that when they do come to paſſe, your hearts may not bee troubled: So theſe things I tell you before, that, though God will deliver us from trouble, yet it will bee by trouble: though hee ſave us, yet it ſhall bee by fire: that, when you ſee theſe things you may not bee troubled, when you ſee ſtorms to fall, oppoſitions and troubles to ariſe, you may not bee moved from your own ſtedfaſtneſs.
I tell you, this is neceſſary advice, a ſeaſonable admonition to you: leſt the oppoſitions and ſeeming contrarieties of Gods proceedings ſhould weaken your faith, and move you from your own ſtedfaſtneſſe.
The beſt of us are too apt to live by ſenſe, and not by faith; by works, and not by the Word; by Gods outward appearances, and proceedings of Providence, and not by Promiſes. And therefore out Faith, doth wane, or increaſe according as God doth let out, or reſtrain himſelf in the ways of his Providence, when God doth let out himſelf to ſuccour and releeve his Church; when wee ſee deliverance in the Promiſe, and deliverance in his outward proceedings too; then wee can believe: but, if God do any way reſtrain himſelf, or his outward Proceedings do ſeem to walk contrary to his own Promiſes: Though perhaps that bee the next way for the performance of his Promiſes. As you ſee it was with Joſeph, with Iſrael in Egypt, where the Promiſe ſpake one thing; and Gods outward proceedings ſeemed to ſpeak another.
In this caſe wee are ready to give up all, and thus did David: I ſhall one time or other periſh by the hand of Saul; and therefore wee ſhould learn this leſſon in ſome kinde, to ſhut our eyes to the works of God, and look upon the Word of God: Not only to look upon the outward proceedings of Providence: but upon the ſtability and truth of the promiſe: and ſee the Word ſay Yea, when the Works ſeem to ſay Nay: and conclude, becauſe the Promiſe ſaith, it ſhall bee; though all ſecondary means, whereby the Promiſe ſhould bee performed, ſay, It ſhall not bee.
VVee read that Uliſses; when hee was to paſs the Coaſt of the Syrens, hee cauſed his men to ſtop their ears, that they might not bee inchanted by their muſick, to deſtroy themſelves: But for himſelf, hee would only bee bound to the Maſt, that though hee ſhould hear, yet their muſick might not bee ſo ſtrong as to allure him to deſtroy himſelf, and leap into the Sea.
There are ſome of Gods people who are weak in Faith: And when they ſee Gods outward proceedings of Providence ſeemingly contrary to his Promiſes; they are apt to bee charmed from their own ſtedfaſtneſs. Now as for theſe, it were good for them to ſtop their ears, and to ſhut their eyes to the works, and look altogether upon the VVord of God: But there are ſome that are ſtronger, and therefore may look upon the outward proceedings of God: But withall let them binde themſelves faſt to the Maſt, the VVord of God; leſt, when they ſee the ſeeming contrariety of his proceedings to the Promiſe, they bee charmed from their own ſtedfaſtneſs, to the wounding of their own ſouls.
God hath promiſed, that Antichriſt ſhall fall: Hee hath promiſed to make his Church glorious. And though in outward proceedings hee ſhould ſeem to uphold the one, and evil intreat the other; yet let not this weaken our Faith, in beleeving the truth of what God hath promiſed.
If you put a ſtreight ſtick into the water, yet ſenſe will render it to bee crooked; it will appear ſo to the eye: but reaſon corrects it, and tells you, though it appear to bee ſo, yet it is not ſo; you put it in ſtreight, and ſo it is.
Doth reaſon prevail againſt ſenſe? and why ſhould not Faith prevail againſt Reaſon? when to outward appearance, God ſeems to bee againſt us, why ſhould not wee by Faith conclude, that God is for us? even for us, when hee ſeems to bee againſt us?
The outward face of things may bee ſuch as may poſſeſſe the Church with fear, when God hath a purpoſe to do great things for his Church. So you read in Joel 2.21. Fear not, O Land; bee glad, and rejoyce; for the Lord will do great things for you. It was a time of Joy, in reſpect of Gods purpoſe; and yet a time of fear, in reſpect of their preſent apprehenſions. God had a purpoſe to do great things for them, and yet the face and outward appearance of things were ſuch, as did at that time poſſeſſe the Church with fear. It was ſo; but it ſhould not have been ſo.
You ſee what Chriſt ſaith, in Luk. 21.25. There ſhall bee ſigns in the Sun, in the Moon, in the Stars; and upon the earth diſtreſſe of Nations; the Sea and Waters roaring, mens hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after the things that ſhall come upon the Earth, for the Powers of Heaven ſhall bee ſhaken. Could there bee a ſadder appearance? And yet ſaith Chriſt, when theſe things begin to come to paſs, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
Here you ſee Chriſt doth turn the ſaddeſt and ſoreſt perplexities, that ever the world ſhall ſee, into a Doctrin of Comfort to his Church; becauſe all theſe things were but a preparatory to the redemption of the Church.
One would think this to bee a ſtrange conſequent deduced from ſuch an Antecedent: A Conſequent ſo comfortable, from an Antecedent ſo terrible: that ſo terrible a Doctrin ſhould afford us an uſe of Conſolation. Yet ſo it is. Bee the premiſes what they will, the concluſion is good. Bee his Providences what they will, his Promiſe is good; and thoſe promiſes ſhall turn all thoſe Providences to good.
And this is the admonition I give you, that whatever oppoſitions, whatever troubles, whatever evils wee meet withall in the way of deliverance; Bee not troubled, let not your hearts bee diſcouraged: for this is the way whereby God will do you good; making all your evil and trouble ſubſervient to good.
VVhat the Apoſtle ſaith of his Bonds, I may ſay of all oppoſitions, Phil. 1.12. The things which have happened to mee, have fallen out to the furtherance of the Goſpel. His priſon was the Goſpels liberty; his ſtraits and bonds, the Goſpels inlargement; his abaſements, the Goſpels advancements.
As wee ſay, the choiceſt bleſſings come out of the fire of afflictions: ſo the greateſt deliverances come out of the greateſt oppoſitions. And thus much for that.
VVee will now come to Application.