Contentment Leading a Christian, Treatise 1 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Of persecution, and Contentment therein.
THe persecutions of the world Grounds of Contentment in persecution.for Christs sake are a sore triall, and have made many of Gods children at a stand, and brought them into the degrees of discontent with their estate; seeing the power and prosperity of wicked men.
But godlinesse reduceth the heart to contentment, by sundry considerations.
1 It looketh up to God, and seeth his hand in them; and that they 1 Gods hand is in it six wayes.come not by chance, or meerely by Satans and the wickeds malice, neither God being ignorant or carelesse of his Church: but first, by his will, 1 Pet. 3. 17. it is better (if it be the the will of God) that ye suffer for well doing. Secondly, by his fore-knowledge, who therefore hath foretold them, and forewarned his children of them, that they should before armed against them: 1 Thess. 3. 4. For verily when we were with you, we told you before, that we should suffer tribulations, even as it came to passe, and yee know it. Thirdly, by his determining them to the very subject & person, as v. 3. for we were appointed ther eunto. Fourthly, by his wise and loving providence: both in respect of his Ipse adver …ario… nomini su… exciat—ut devotionem a… fi…em suorum vel probet, vel vel co…ob… ret; done… pressura verberibus deflue… corrigat dis cipl…n…m, Lact l. 5. c. 23.children, whom by this meanes he keepeth out, and helpeth out of many sinnes: as also of his owne truth, which must by this meanes against all mans reason be preserved, through constant and couragious maintenance of it unto the death. Thus his glory shineth through the worlds darkenesse. Fiftly, by his moderating and ending them: for …e suffereth them not to be perpetuall, as the Devill and wicked men would, but, lest his children should faint, …ee putteth a good end unto them: for the rod of the wicked shall not alway lye on the lot of the righteous, lest they put forth their hand to iniquity, Psal. 125. 3. Sixtly, by his upholding to the blessed fruit and issue, promised, Matth. 5. 10. Blessed are they which suffer persecution: for theirs is the Kingdome of heaven. For the sufferings of this life are not like the glory that shall be revealed: the suffering indeed is great, but the glory farre greater: and if it be long, yet is it not eternall, as the glory is. Therefore be content, as the Apostle reasoneth, Rom. 8. 17, 18.
2 Godlinesse looketh up to Christ, 2 …r… Christi, gloria Christiani.and seeth him a companion in suffering, an example of suffering, and now being departed the world, hath left his Church the heire of his crosse; but with this comfort, that as he went from the crosse to his Crowne; so, if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him, ibid.
3 If it looke at men without it 3selfe, it wanteth not comfort.
At friends: so persecuted they the Prophets, Matt. 5. 12. so the Apostles 1 Thess. 2. 14, 15. so the Saints beleeving in their word, Hebr. 10. 32, 33. Yea, and all that will live godly 2 Tim. 3. 12in Christ, must suffer persecution.
If it look at enemies, it seeth them weake and impotent: they are able perhaps to kill the body, but cannot hurt the soule, Mat. 10. 28. They may kill them, but not conquer and overcome them.
If it looke within it selfe: First, Inward helps and comforts.it seeth a good cause to suffer for, it suffers for the Kingdome of God, and is glad to bee counted worthy to suffer for it, 2 Thess. 1. 5. Secondly, it seeth the note of a true Christian, which is the Crosse of Christ: beares his markes, and so is content. Thirdly, it seeth in these sufferings a certaine testimony of Gods just and righteous judgement, wherein all their wrongs shall be righted, and the persecutors revenged, 2 Thess. 1. 5, 6. It is just with God, and a token of his righteous judgement: and Luk. 11. 50. There is a time when all the righteous blood, shed from Abel to Zacharie, shall bee required.
4 If it lookes to the losses it suffereth, 4though of the dearest things, it can be content, being assured of abundant recompence.
The losses are great: as of
Liberty.
Country & friends.
Goods.
Life.
Yet in all is a godly heart contented, thus.
In the losse of liberty. First, Hee Comforts in the losse of liberty. 1that is prisoner for God, is the Lords freeman: and they cannot lo…ke out the Spirit, nor binde him. Paul and Silas can sing Psalmes to God in prison. If the Sonne have set them free, they are free indeed, Ioh. 8. 36.
Secondly, it maketh restraint and imprisonment a meane to preserve 2 Liber est is existi…, qui nu…ii …urpitudini servit. Cic. …d Heren. 4.that liberty, in which Christ hath set them free, by repentance daily breaking off the bolts and bands of sinne and native corruption, and getting out of the deeds of the flesh, and bondage of sinne, which is the greatest captivity of all.
3 It seeth Gods deare children in the like condition. Ioseph was cast 3into a deepe dungeon, where he saw neither Sunne, Moone, nor Starre, Gen. 41. 42, Ieremy cast into a pit where he stucke fast in the clay, and was ready to be sterved. Iohn Baptist cast into Herods prison, and there lost his head. The like of our owne Martyrs.
4 It waiteth Gods gracious deliverance, 4who sometime by such strait keeping prepares them to their advancement, as Ioseph, and the Butler of Pharaoh restored to his office: or else by delivering them from the prison of the body, sets them out of all bands, and danger of Tyrants, into the perfect liberty of the sonnes of God.
In the losse of Countrey and Comforts in the losse of Countrey and friends. 1friends, godlinesse contenteth the heart on these grounds.
1 Because the Lord is our habitation, Psalm. 90. 1. that is, in our exiles and wandrings the Lord is a dwelling-place, whose dwelling is every where. He knowes our wandrings, and leads us in and out: Ezek. 11. 16. Though I have cast them from farre among the heathen, and scattered them among the countries, yet will I bee to them a little Sanctuary in the countries where they shall come. As the Heathens were Omne solum forti patria.wont to say, To a valiant man every soyle is his Countrey, so may the godly much more; every Countrey is their home, one as well as another, for their home is in heaven.
2 It hath beene the lot of Gods 2Saints, who knew the discommodities of banishment and exile. Abraham was commanded to get him out of his owne Countrey, from his kinred and fathers house, he knew not whither, onelyonly he knew the Lord went before him, and with him: and therefore, Heb. 11. 8. By faith Abraham being called, obeyed God, and went to a place, not knowing whither. How was Iacob forced to flie from his fathers house, for feare of Esau? Christ himselfe must flie his Countrey assoone as ever he was borne, to save his life: and Heb. 11. The Saints wandred up and downe in Mountains, in caves, &c. An happy thing to wander in faith, and for keeping faith and a good conscience, as they did.
3 It maketh the Saints looke to 3their Countrey and Fathers house in heaven: so did those ancient Beleevers, Hebr. 11. 9, 10. and to acknowledge themselves strangers and pilgrimes on earth, as Iacob, Gen. 47. 9. They were content with promises onelyonly a farre off, and received them gladly, and every where built Altars to God, where they came. A stranger in his way takes all things patiently: when hee comes home, hee knowes hee shall have audience, redresse, and supply.
In the losse of goods for Christ, Comforts in the losse of goods. 1godlinesse contenteth thus.
1 It is wealth enough, to bee poore with Christ, and for Christ: for God is the portion, and Godlinesse the great gaine. His wealth is within.
2 This is a thankfull returne of duty. We know, that Christ being 2rich became poore to enrich us: and 2 Cor. 8. 9.therefore we may be content to be so for him. Wee cannot lose so much, nor so precious wealth for him, as hee for us. Alive he had not a place to hide his head, nor ground to bury him being dead.
3 The Lord taketh away but his owne, which hee had lent: for we 3brought not hing into the world: & if they shouldnot have left us, we should have left them ere long: the Lord hath given, and taken, blessed be his name.
4 God hath more and greater 4things to bestow on his children, then any they can bee spoiled of. Hence the Saints suffered with joy the spoyling of their goods, knowing that they had in Heaven a better and enduring substance, Heb. 10. 34. And the promise is no more largethen faithful, that whosoever forsaketh goods, lands, or houses for Christs sake, and the Gospels, shall have an hundreth fold for the present with affliction, and in the world to come life everlasting: Ample restitution, Mat. 19. 29.
5 Even for the present a godly 5heart resteth on the gracious love and powerfull providence of God towards it. It seeth him doe great and wonderfull things for the soule, and dares trust him for the body too. It seeth him feeding the Ravens and Sparrowes, and knoweth it selfe dearer to him, then many of them. David never saw the righteous forsaken: nor was it ever seen, that he or his seed begged.
In the losse of life for Christ, a Comforts in the losse of life. 1godly heart setteth before it:
1 Christs giving his life for him: and was not his life and glory as deare to him? and is not ours become adebt unto him whensoever he pleases to call for it, and sanctified by his?
2 The Lords most gracious promise 2for encouragement: that whosoever shall lose his life for Christ, shall finde it, Mat. 10. 39, viz. with usury & advantage, He that spares his seed, loseth it: but he that sowes it, saves it, & finds it with best advantage.
3 The Lords speciall providence: 3not an haire of the head can fal without it, much lesse the head it selfe: and precious in the sight of the Lord is the Psa. 115. 16.death of all his Saints. Our lives are in the hands of God, and not of tyrants, who cannot take them awoy, all God have said the word. Nebuchadnezzar could not burne Sidrak and his fellows. Pharaoh could not drown Moses an infant, but Moses must drowne him and his.
4 It is an honorable thing to suffer 4for righteousnes, how shamefull & painful soever the death seem to be: as with Christ himself. Never so glorious & powerful a death, never so shameful and painfull, Godlines sets Iesus before our cies, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the crosse, and despised the shame, Heb. 12. 2.
5 The enemy intēding to kil them, 5 Martyrium est delictorn̄ finis, periculi, …erminus, dux salutis, &c. Cyp. de laud Marty.cures them. The gold of God by death is purged from al drosse. The wheat of God beaten by this flaile, frō al chaffe: free frō all sin & misery. By banishing them out of the earth they call them out of their banishmēt, to inhabittheir heavenly Canaan, as Pharaoh by oppressing Israel, and thrusting them out of his land, helped them on to their promised Canaan. They seek to destroy the Church, as in mans reason it would: but the blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church: the enemies of it by violence plant and water it. They thinke to bring shame and infamy upon Gods people by most ignominious death: but, as the sweet drugges cast out the pleasantest smell when they bee stamped, so the Martyrs are as sweet incense cast into the fire. They thinke to keep low, and worke wisely, as Exod. 1. 10.Pharaoh to root out Gods people: but as Camomile, the more troden, the thicker and greener it groweth: so Gods people even under the foot of Pharaoh increased more mightily for the bloody decree. Nay, when they thinke to bring death, the chiefe of all evils they can inflict, they deliver them from all evils of sinne and punishment, and send them speedily to the fruition of the chiefe good, which is God himselfe, and all the pleasures at his right hand.
6 The faithfull are fearelesse of 6the most extreme torments, and can contemne them, because they know themselves invincible, and their faith inexpugnable. They may be slaine, but not overcome. Enemies may kill the body, but withall they free the spirit from the burthen of it. Neither can they keep the body ever in dust and ashes, no more then by all their strength and policy they could the body of Christ in the grave; but it shall rise out of the ashes, to a glorious and everlasting life: in which faith it is content the life bee laid downe for Christ. Hence the Disciples were glad they were accounted Act. 5. 41.worthy to suffer for Christ. Hence the Martyrs in the Primitive Church Euseb. hist. …cc. l. 4. c. 15.were so forward to offer their lives to Christ; as the woman of Edissa came running with her young childe in her armes, left the Christians should be burned before she came, and shee not burned with them. The like of Polycarp…, of Blanditta, a peerelesse woman, of Acolus a mirrour of patience, and others. And what of our owne Martyrs, who could sing to God in the midst of the flames?
By these and the like Motives a godly heart becomes not onelyonly contented to dye for Christ, but joyfull and desirous.