Contentment Leading a Christian, Treatise 1 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Of the worlds contempt, and contentment in it.
THe contempt and contumely of Grounds of Contentment in the worlds contempt.the world goeth very neare the godly, because after a sort the holy profession it selfe and piety is despised in them, yea, God himselfe and his image: which made David make a mournfull complaint, Psal. 69. 19. thou hast knowne my reproach, my shame, and my dishonour: and (in the next verse) saith it had even broken his heart. Yet godlinesse fenceth the heart against it, on these grounds.
1 My Lord Iesus Christ was 1scorned and rejected of men, mocked by Herod and his Courtiers, and by his reproach hath sanctified & lightned mine: nay, it is he that is still scorned in me, I beare his rebuke, Hebr. 13. 13. and I am partaker of the afflictions of Christ, 1 Pet. 4. 13. and may I not be well content to be conformable to the image of Gods owne Sonne in reproaches and calumnies? Rom. 8. 29. If they called the Master Belzebub, may they well not call me Divell? is the Disciple above his Lord? Matthew 10. verse 24.
2 I suffer not this reproach as an 2evill doer, nor of good, but evill men: and therefore I am neither sorrowfull, nor ashamed. I suffer as a Christian, and therefore glorifie God in this behalfe, 1 Pet. 4. 15. If they had Christ among them, hee could not escape their scornes.
This contented David, Psal. 69. 7. for thy sake have I suffered reproofe, and shame hath covered my face. See Esa. 8. 18. and Iere. 20. 7. So a godly heart hath the testimony of a good conscience, that it hath given no just cause, but suffereth for Gods sake: thence contentment. How glad may a good heart be, when it can appeale to God, and desire him to witnesse the innocency of it?
3 It appeares not now, what 3godly men are: their worth is not known: therefore are they coursely used. But the time comes, wherein it shall be manifest what they are, 1 Ioh. 3. 1, 2. Now we are the sonnes of God, but it appeareth not what wee shall be: but when hee shall appeare, wee shall be like him, and see him as he is. Now where godlinesse hath taken up the heart, it will quiet it thus: Hath God chosen me, and graciously respected me? what need I care to be rejected of bad men? He is not praised, whom men praise, but whom God commendeth. Hath God adopted 2 Cor. 10. ult.me to be his sonne? what care I, if the sonnes of men turne my glory into shame? There is a day, when it shall appeare that I am a sonne of God. A Pearl cast into dust or clay, loseth not the vertue, nor the shine; but a day will finde it, and see it in the due price of it: So the godly, now darkened in the dirt of calumnies, at length shall be revealed, and according to their worth respected. In the meane time we must be content, that our glory be hid, even as our Lords was. And indeed, shame and infamy from evill men is no shame, but a crowne: Iob would carry the booke of libels upon his shoulders, as an ornament, c. 31. 36.
4 God hath a good hand in all 4 2 Sam. 16. 10.this contempt powred on his servants. For they suffer according to the will of God, 1 Pet. 4. 19. David thus comforted himselfe: the Lord hath bid Shemei raile. And the Lord Good we should be despised by the world.seeth it good for his children, that it should bee thus: First, to try their faith, hope, patience, charity, if they can blesse being cursed, and do good for evill, wholly abstaining from revenge. Secondly, to teach them not to seeke praise of men, nor expect it, but the true praise which is from God. Thirdly, to confirme them in the good way, as by a sure marke, wherein all the Saints have walked before them, Prophets, Apostles, others, who went through good report 2 Cor. 6. 8.and bad report, fame and infamy: so there is assurance of a blessed end and issue, Mat. 5. 11. 1 Pet. 4. 14.
5 Lastly, if I looke at examples, 5I have not only Christ himselfe, who was railed on called a Samaritan, one that had a Devill, one that cast out Devils by Belz…bub the prince of Devils, &c. but his Apostles who were reviled as drunke, or full of new wine; Act. 2. 13. 26. 24. 17. 18. Tert. Apo log …ap. 7. & 16.and Paul by Festus, that he was mad, or beside himselfe; and by Athenians, that he was a babl…r. And the Christians after thē in the Primitive Church were divellishly s…andred for killing their owne children, for worshipping the head of an Asse, for Incest, and other wickednesses. And therefore (as the Apostle saith) this is no new thing befalling me: and 1. Pet. 4. 12.if I be not slandered thus, I must expect it, and in time of peace prepare for it.