Treatise of the Divine Promises, Book 3 · Chapter 2 – Chapter 3
CHAP. II. 2. Promises against opposition for truth and goodnesse from persons, which are either
1. Ill minded and oppose truth.
2. Ill livers and oppose goodnesse.
1. Promises for those that suffer for the profession of the truth.
FOR I will give you a mouth and wisedome which all your adversaries shall not bee able to gainesay nor resist,An example of which promise we have in S. Stephen, Act. 6.9, 10. Luke 21.15.
When they deliver you up, take no thought how or what you shall speake, for it sh…ll be given you in that same houre what yee shall speake, Matt. 10.19.
Be not afraid (said GOD unto Paul) but speake,Ex 4, 11, 12 Psal. 8.2. The Apostles were persecuted for preaching the Gospell, Act. 4.3, 3. others for beleeving and professing the Gospell, Act 9.2. and hold not thy peace, for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee, Acts 18.9, 10.
Whosoever shall confesse me before men, him will I confesse also before my Father which is in Heaven, Matth. 10.32.
2. Promises for those that suffer for the practise of good.
Daniel was cast into the Lyons den for praying unto God, Dan 6.10. and Christ was persecuted for doing works of mercy, Mat. 3.….Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousnesse sake, for theirs is the kingdome of Heaven, Matth. 5.10. If yee suffer for righteousnesse sake, happy are ye, 1 Pet. 3.14. Hereby they give their testimony to CHRIST and the Gospell, when they partake of the afflictions of the Gospell, 2 Tim. 1.8.
And as there be promises for such as suffer either for truth or goodnesse, so there are for such who suffer for both together, and these either
Generall in regard of any kind of suffering, as these following.
For if they suffer with CHRIST, they shall raigne with him in another world, 2 Tim. 2.11, l2. When CHRIST appeares in his glory, they shall be glad and reioyce, 1 Pet. 4.13. What shall separate us from the love of CHRIST? shall tribulation, distresse, or persecution, &c▪ nay in all these things we are more then conquerours, *Occidi possumus, vinci non possamusRom. 8.35, 36, 37.
GOD may turne the hearts of the wicked,2 Thess. 1.6. and make them of Lions and Tigers, to become Lambes, and no more to doe hurt in the mountaine of the LORD, Esay 11.6, 7, 8, 9. Esay 65.25.
GOD will subdue all their enemies; I will blesse them that blesse thee, and curse them that curse thee, Gen. 12.3. See Deut. 30.7 Jer. 12.14. Psal. 37.14, 15, 17. Job 8.22. Esay 41.11, 12. & 54.15. & 59.19. Pro. 22.23. & 21.18.
Their troubles shall not be long, though violent, For the elects sake those daies shall be shortened, Matth. 24.22.
Or Speciall,
as Losse,
1. Of name, in reproaches.
2. Of liberty, in imprisonment.
3. Of goods, any or all.
4. Of life it selfe.
Promises to those that suffer reproaches for both truth and goodnesse.
1. Reproaches and scornes from the world for thy profession, should fill thy heart with abundance of glory, blessednesse and joy. If ye be reproached for the name of CHRIST, happy are ye (saith S. Peter) for the Spirit of glory and of GOD resteth upon you, The very kind and cause of the a…fliction should be an argument of great consolation.1 Pet. 4.14. that is, such a Spirit shall rest on you, which shall make you glorious. Blessed are you (saith CHRIST himselfe) when men shall revile, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evill against you falsly for my sake, Iam. 1.2. Psal. 69 7, 9, 10. Act. 5 41.reioyce and be exceeding glad, Matth. 5.11, 12. Leape for joy, so it is, Luke 6.23. and the word here in Matth. signifieth exceeding joy, such as we use to expresse by outward signes in the body, as skipping and dancing, 2 Sam. 6.14, 16. For great is your reward in Heaven.
Thou art honourable in GODS account, Esay 43.4. he takes notice of all thy disgraces, Psal. 69.19. and will take care for thy clearing and comfort, Hee will bring forth thy righteousnesse as the light, and thy iudgements as the noone day, Psal. 37.6. As if hee should have said, howsoever thy innocency be at sometimes covered as it were with a thick and darke mist of slander and oppression, yet the LORD will in his good time scatter and dissolve the mist, and so make thy innocency apparent to the world; yea he shall make thy righteous cause, as evident as the Sunne when it ariseth, nay as noone day when it is at highest, and shineth brightest. Thou shalt receive double for all thy shame, Esay 61.7. Though you have lien among the pots, yet shall yee be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold, Psal 68.13. that is, although ye have lived in great streights and basenesse, yet yee shall be freed from them,Scurtilities and odious nick-names in this kinde are so many honourable badges of thy Christian magnanimity, and at the throne of Christ will be certainely reputed as characters of speciall honour, and remembrances of thy worthy service, Bolton. Esay 16 1…. and obtaine illustrious glory.
They shall be honoured in the day of CHRIST, 1 Pet. 1.7. Their reward shall be great in Heaven, Mat. 5.12. and in the meane time there is with GOD a hiding place from the strife of tongues, Psal. 31.20. Iob 5.21. Psal. 13.18. How doth GOD cheare his people, Esay 41. Feare not, be not dismayed, ver. 10. I am with thee, I am thy GOD, I will strengthen thee, yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousnesse. But GOD will bring the wicked to shame for the contempt with which they have disho…oured his servants, as it followeth, ver. 11. All they that were incensed against thee, shall be ashamed and confounded. He still incourageth his people there, ver. 13. He saith againe: Feare not, for I the LORD thy GOD will helpe thee, Esay 43. c. 2. Esay 44.2.and ver. 14. Feare not thou worme, (that is, were thy state never so weake and despicable) I will helpe thee, saith the LORD and thy Redeemer. He begins the 43. Chap. with the same words; Feare not, viz. thine enemies, for I have called thee, and redeemed thee, thou art mine. Feare not little flocke (saith our Saviour) feare not men, feare not meanes, for it is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdome. Luk. 12.32.See Ier. 46.27, 28.
If thou wouldest be delivered from reproches and evill report, goe to the LORD and urge him upon Covenant; say, LORD thou hast said, Thou wilt blesse the name of the righteous, thou will honour them that honour thee, that we shall not be ashamed when we have respect unto all thy Commandements, Psal. 119.6. Sue out this promise upon all occasions, as David often doth, Psal. 31.1, 17 and 119.116.
2. Promises to those that are imprisoned for the Gospell.
The LORD heareth the poore and despiseth not his prisoners, Psal. 69.33. Hee heareth the groanings of the prisoner, Psal. 102.20. And bringeth out those that are bound with chaines, Psal. 68.6. as he did Peter, Acts 12.10. Feare non… of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold the Divell shall cast some of you into prison that yee may be tryed, and yee shall have tribulation ten daies: be thou faithfull unto the death,Rev. 2.10. and I will give thee a crowne of life. Here was a bittersweet message, Yee shall be cast into prison:Act. 16.25. This was bitter: feare not, this was comfortable; but I will give thee a crowne of life, this was the comfort of comforts.
3. Promises to those that loose outward things for GODS cause.
In losses for GODS cause:
We should meditate of GODS gracious promises.
1. In the losse of outward things for thy love and service unto GOD, remember that place, 2 Chron. 25.9. The LORD is able to give thee much more then this.
2. In the losse of any earthly blessing for GODS cause, call to mind that promise three times set downe by the Evangelists: Every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father,An excellent example of this we have in Iob 46 10, 1…. or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my names sake, shall receive an hundred *Which is termed by S. Augustine the best and greatest usury.fold, and shall inherit everlasting life, Mat. 19.29. Marke 10.29, 30. Hath it for my sake and the Gospels, Luke 18.29, 30. For the kingdome of GODS sake.
3. In the losse of any earthly things in every kind, thinke of that speech, Hab. 3.17, 18. Although the fig-tree shall not blossome, neither shall fruit be in the vines: the labour of the olive shall faile, and the fields shall yeeld no meate, the flocke shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no heard in the stalles: Yet I will reioyce in the LORD: I will ioy in the GOD of my salvation. Consider also Iobs patient blessing of GOD, upon the surprize and concurrence of an universall misery, Iob 1.22.
4. Promises to those that loose their life for GODS cause.
4. When thou art like to loose thy life, m…ditate on those places, Mat. 10 39. He that findeth his life shall loose it, Ioh 12 25and he that looseth his life for my sake shall find it. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, (yea though it be the fiery triall) for he shall receive the crowne of life, Jam. 1.12.Rev. 14 13 Q…i moriuntur Domini ciusa, id est, propter Dominum. Beza. 1 Pet. 4 16. Blessed are the dead which die in LORD; and which die for the LORD: he speakes of such as suffered in the quarrell of CHRIST under Antichrist, they rest from their labours, and their workes doe follow them. Every drop of blood spilt by a true professor of the Gospell, for the constant and found profession of it, is precious in the sight of GOD, Psal. 116.15. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his Saints.
CHAP. III Promises against evills in the world,
1. In generall.
WHosoever is borne of GOD overcommeth the world, and this is the victory that overcommeth the world, even our faith, 1 Joh. 5.4. CHRIST prayed to his Father, To keepe his from the evill of the world, Joh. 17.15.2 Pet. 1.4. Who gave himselfe for our sinnes that hee might deliver us from this present evill world, Gal. 1.4. Our Saviour, Iohn 16.33. tells his Disciples, That in the world they should have tribulation, but be of good cheere (saith hee) I have overcome the world.
2. A promise to those that dislike evill company.
I will dwell in them, and walke in them, and I will be their GOD, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be yee separate saith the LORD, and touch not the uncleane thing, and I will receive you, and I will be a Father unto you, and yee shal be my sonnes and daughters, saith the LORD Almighty, 2 Cor. 6.16, 17, 18.
3. Promises against worldly cares and covetousnesse.
To curbe our hearts from covetousnesse, we should meditate upon these places, Heb. 13.5. *There are five negatives together in the Originall that strongly affirme, as if hee should say, tell thee I will never forsake thee, I tell thee I will never forsake thee and so five times. We are to pray that every thing which causeth offence in the Church may be removed, for which we have an expresse promise, Mat. 13 41.I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. Hee that gave us his owne sonne, how shall hee not with him freely give us all things, Rom. 8.32. See Matth. 6.25. to the end. Phil. 4.6. 1 Tim. 4.8. 1 Pet. 5.7.
4. Promises against Scandales.
GOD will secure his people and save them from being ensnared by scandals, Psal. 119.165. and nothing shall offend them, or they shall have no stumbling block. Ier. 31.9.