Contentment Leading a Christian, Treatise 1 · Chapter 3 – Chapter 4
CHAP. III. Of troubles in the Commonwealth, borne with Contentment.
THe other kinde of publike calamities, Grounds of Contentment in evils of the Commonwealth.are the troubles, tumults, and confusions in the Countrey and Commonwealth, disturbing publick peace; such as are Oppression, Warre, Rebellion, or any such common evill. Against all which godlinesse teacheth Contentment, and setleth the heart by these considerations.
1 Because, whatsoever the wicked doe by error or violence, it is not 1 Plebs & ru…, pascua …yra…orum & mili…: tyranni & milites, pascua diabolorum. Ludov. 12.without Gods providence, or his righteous judgement. He observes the oppression of the wicked, to revenge, moderate, order it, Eecles. 5. 7. If in a Countrey thouseest the oppression of the poore, and defrauding of judgment and justice, be not astonied; for he that is higher then the highst regardeth. God casts not off the care of that Countrey, but his eye is upon it, his eares are still open to heare the oppressions of wicked men, and the cryes of the oppressed: And hee is higherthen the highest, both to reserve revenge for the wicked, and to bring all into order again in his good time.
2 Godlinesse teacheth to be content 2in publike evils, inferred by Magistrates, because it teacheth, that subjects are bound in conscience to obey Rom. …3. 5.their Magistrates in suffering, and patient, bearing of wrongs and injuries, 1 Pet. 2. 19. Servants must be subject not onelyonly to the good, but froward: for this is praiseworthy, if a man for conscience endure griefe, suffering wrongfully. Godlinesse looketh to Gods Ordinance, not Hos. 13. 1….mans perverting of it, saying, God hath set up this person over me, therefore I must and will obey, actively and passively.
3 Godlinesse teacheth the heart 3the first lesson of Christianity, namely, continually to take up injuries and crosses: dayly, saith the Text: and Luk. 9. 23. Mat. 5. 39.after a blow on one che…ke to turne the other, that is, expect and endure another, promising to themselves nothing but a continuall bearing of evils; and in the meane time never to returne evill for evill, (which Rom. 12. …7.were to shoot with evill men in their owne bow) but Doe good for evill, blesse when cursed, & by prayer 21.and patience overcome evill with goodnesse, not to repell or represse it by rebellion.
4 Seeing Christ hath foretold of Warres and rumours of Warres, the 4 Mat. 24 6. Rom. 5 1.godly heart (according to his counsell) is not too much troubled, because it hath peace with God, and in it selfe, in our Lord Iesus Christ; and so much the more laboureth in the preservation of that peace, which the world cannot take away. It warres so much the more with it owne sins, and if it can over come these enemies, it cares for no other.
5 It sets before the eyes of it the 5examples of the Saints, who in all ages were the beholders of common calamities, and yet carried themselves with much contentment in God. Moses beheld the oppression of Gods people in Egypt. Noah the confusion of the old world. Ieremy of the whole Kingdome of Iudah by the Babylonish captivity: and yet without grudging, or impatience: because they knew, that these confusions were among men, but God still kept his order, his providence still watched over his owne people, while the sword ateup the enemies: so Ieremy was safe in the captivity, Noah in the Arke, and the comfort which God gave Baruch, Ier. 45. 5. I will bring a plague upon all flesh, but thy life will I give thee every where for a prey, where thou goest.
Now saith the godly heart, If God watch over these publike evils, to moderate and revenge them, if I be bound in conscience to suffer evils patiently, if my profession bid mee to expect no other, if God have given me peace by Christ, and exercised his Saints in the like trials, why should not I stay my selfe and leane upon God, expecting an issue?
CHAP. IV. Of Contentment in Satanicall molestation.
NOw follow more private calamities, Grounds of Contentment in Satanicall molestation.against which godlinesse fenceth the heart with contentation. And they be either spirituall or temporall.
Spirituall, are from 1 Satan, 2 Sin, 3 the World.
The assaults and molestation of Satan often bring much disquietnesse and trouble to the minde: but godlinesse at length reduceth the heart to contentment by these or the like meditations.
1 That though Satan be never 1 Voluntas semper iniqua est, po…entia nunquam injusta. Asemet ipso voluntatem habet, potestatem à Deo. Formidari non debet, qùia nil …i… permissus valet. Greg. Mor. 2.so cruell & malicious, yea, the prince of the world, & the god of the world, of exceeding great power in his attempts, yet he hath but the power of a creature which is finite, and cannot execute any part of that power, at his owne pleasure, but onelyonly when God permitteth him. Till God said to the evill spirit, Goe against Ahab, and thou shalt prevaile, he could neither prevaile nor goe, 1 King. 22. 22. Till God said of Iob, Loe, all that hee hath is in thy hand, onelyonly spare his life, he could not touch him. Till Christ say, Go into the herd, a legion of devils could not possesse one swine.
Yea, it is not onelyonly a created and finite, but a determined power, limited and bounded by God, so as he cannot passe an inch beyond his commission: spare his life, saith the Lord, and Iobs life was spared. Whence it followes, that God will never suffer his power to be enlarged, to the overthrow and destruction of his children, against whom the gates of hell must not prevaile.
2 God armeth and fenceth his 2children, that they shall be able to resist and overcome in the evill day: he will confirme & stablish them: wherto he hath appointed & put on them an armour …f proofe, able to keepe out foreign.all the fiery darts of the wicked one, Eph. 6. 13. If we be not wanting in the getting and keeping in our armour, Satan cannot hurt us.
3 Christ our head hath overcome the Devill, and we his members 3are partakers of his victory: his head is broken: the prince of the world is cast out: well he may nibble at the heele, but cannot reach the head.
4 We have an assured defence, 4namely hearty prayer and effectuall invocation of the Name of God, to whom (as being our Father in Iesus Christ) we may have accesse, calling upon him for the restraint of Satans power and malice. The Divell is cast out by fasting and prayer.
We have the Angels, to whom he hath given in charge our safety, Psal. 91. 10, 11. The power of good Angels is farre the greater.
Wee have his owne faithfull Word: that he will be a wall of fire round about his people, Zech. 2. 5. and that hee will bee with them in the greatest dangers, of which, these are the principall.
We have the gift and comfort of his blessed Spirit, which is the Spirit of wisedome, understanding, counsell, strength, and knowledge, Esa. 11. 2.
5 We stand not alone against 5 …icu… ass… dua est in mari tempestas, sic in isto mundo persecutio Satana. Chrys. in Mat. hom. 39.Satans malice: but, as there is perpetuall enmity betweene the seed of the woman, and the seed of the serpent, so have all the seed of Christ (of which, Esa. 53. 10.) beene in their times molested by the Devill, the children of Iob, and Iob himselfe, and Luke 13. 16. Acertaine woman the daughter of Abraham, that is, a Beleever, and following Abrahams faith. Nay, Christ himselfe in his second temptation was carried by the Devill from the Wildernesse to a Pinnacle of the Temple, and there tempted to destroy and cast downe himselfe. We then may well be contented.