Contentment Leading a Christian, Treatise 1 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Of scandals, heresies, and the like, conquered by Contentment.
NOw we come to more speciall troubles, wherein we are also to see, how godlinesse stayeth and contenteth the heart, & makes a godly man a Conquerour, when many round about him sink into the gulfe of discontent and despaire.
Speciall troubles are either more publicke, or more private.
Publické evils are either in the Grounds of contentment in scandals, heresies, &c.Church, or in the Commonwealth.
In the Church are scandals, heresies, schismes, Apostasie, contempt of the light, falling backe to Antichrist; and this offendeth many, they know not what or whom to beleeve, and so fall from, and are discontented with every Religion.
Against all which, the godly heart fenceth and contenteth it selfe with these Meditations.
First, of Gods counsell, providence, 1 Foretold.permission, and moderation of all these evils in the Church. The Lord sleepes not (as the servants in the Parable) while the malicious man soweth these tares in his field, but foretelleth that they must be so: Matth, 24. 10, 11. Many shall be offended: and many false Prophets, and false Christs shall arise, and seduce many, Act. 20. 29. I know that after my departure shall enter grievous Wolves, who shall not spare the flocke, Matth. 18. 7. it is necessary that offences come, 1 Cor. 11. 19. There must be heresies among you. Why? what necessity? God might hinder them.
Ans. Yea, but a necessity in regard, 1 The necessity of them. Jd…ò magistri er…ori… existunt, quia veritatis discipuli non fuerunt. Leo.of God, who hath decreed not to hinder them: 2 Of Man, whose fr…ewill to evill determineth unto them: 3 Of the end, threefold: As a punishment of sinne, while the truth is not received in love, 2 Thess. 2. 10, 11. As a tryall of those that are sound, 1 Cor. 11 19. That they which are approved may be made manifest. And to stirre up the godly to watchfulnesse, and sound study of Scriptures, and Prayer.
Secondly, the godly know, that in the greatest confusions of the Church, 2 Turned to good.the Lord so moderateth & disposeth of all these evils, as that he gets himselfe glory, and leads his children to glory also. He bringeth light out of darknesse, and good out of evill. For he makes his truth shine in opposition to falshood. He makes it triumph Both Gods glory.and carry victory against Satan and all his limbes, Heretickes, Apostates, contemners, yea, that great Apostate and sonne of perdition, Antichrist himselfe. He makes all the children of wisedome to acknowledge, that Luk. 7. 35.that truth is divine and from heaven, which Satan and sinners of the world so oppugne in vaine, and that it is defended by divine power, not by the arme of flesh.
And for the godly themselves, And the glory of the godly.they cannot be seduced, Mat. 24. 24. the foundation of God abideth sure: greater is he that dwels in them, then he that is in the world, Ioh. 4. 4 Heresies, schismes, scandals, apostasies may molest and grieve them, but cannot overturne them; because they are preserved by the power of God to 1 Pet. 1. 5.salvation, they are begotten of immortall seed: and all that are begotten of God, overcome the world, 1 Ioh. 5. 4. and let Antichrist come into the world, the Elect are fenced, c. 4. 4. Little children, ye are of God, and have overcome them. They are sealed, marked, and exempted from hurt, Rev. 7. 3. Hurt not the earth, nor sea, nor trees, till wee have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads: So as God gives not scope to any of these evils, to prejudice the faith of the Elect, and onelyonly those are deceived, whose names are not written in the Booke of life.Rev. 13. 8.
Thirdly, the godly looke not for a Church on earth without spot and 3 Ever pestered the Church hitherto. Propter Ca venda scandala, quò ibu extra mun…um, nisi f…gias …deum qui f…it mund…? Aug.wrinkle, nor without combat: the battell is not ended, but with the world: for it hath ever continued, and beene renewed with the severall ages of the world. In Paradise was a serpent, a Divell: the Patriarkes families not without their Cain, Cham, Ishmael, Esau, who were prophane Apostates: Christs family not without a Iudas. What scandals and divisions were in the Churches of Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus and other; even in the Homo circ… mortem pha…t a…a… videt: Si… & mundu… in e…itu s… mul…o… pa… …ie…ur err… res. Chrys. Mat. 24. 1…Apostles dayes, when the Church of the New Testament was a Virgin, and in her prime, witnesse the Epistles of the Apostles, and history of the Actes. And can we looke that now in the decrepit age of the Church, in which the Lees of all corruption are settled, and in which Christ himselfe prophesied scarcity of Faith, and coldnesse of Love, should bee more exempted from such molestation, then those former servent and purer Ages? Shall not Christs own Doctrine from his blessed mouth be exempted from murmuring, dissention, captious quarrelling, and shall we looke that ours can? Shall many at once take occasion of Apostasie from his Doctrine, and shall wee disdaine Ioh. 6. 66that men fall off from ours? Shall he come to his owne, and they not receive him? shall he which is above all testifie that hee hath seene and heard, and no man receive his testimony, Iohn 3. 31. and shall we think much, if our testimony be not received? Shall his Prophets and Apostles be smitten with the tongue and sword, and shall wee thinke strange of it? Ier. 18. 18. Acts 12.
Fourthly, the godly patiently wait the time wherein God will fully deliver 4 Destroyed one day utterly.them from all this molestation, and danger of seduction. They know Satan must have his time, and wicked men their time: but as in 2 Pet. …. 9. the Lord knowes to deliver the just in temptation: and then, as Moses Exod. 14. …3said of the Egyptians, Those your enemies whom your eyes have seene this day, ye shall never see more.
Thus the godly heart stayeth it self contented in God, as knowing that the Church is as the Arke of Noah, let floods and stormes fall, let the windowes of heaven be open, and let it raine as if heaven and earth would goe together, let the waters rise, and the waves and billowes beat, and tosse it, let the windes totter and shake it; yet it shall rise as high as the waters, God is the faithfull Pilot, he guides the stearne, and shall keepe it happily aloft, notwithstanding the danger. It is like the ship in which Christ was, shaken and ready to sinke while Christ slept; but hee will awake in due time, and rebuke the Windes and Sea, and save his Disciples.