A Counterpoison, Religious treatise · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
Why the Lord suffers his children so to be traduced, and persecuted, by his and their enemies: and first, That it makes for the glory of his power.
IN the former *Sin stigma tized.Treatise, I have proved, that there is a naturall enmity and a spiritu…ll Antipathy betweene the Men of the World, and the children of GOD; betweene the seed of the Serpent, and the seed of the Woman. And that these two Regiments being the Subjects of two severall Kings, Satan and Christ, are governed by Lawes opposite and cleane contrary each to the other: whereby it comes to passe, that grievous temptations and persecutions doe alwayes accompany the remission of sins: That all men (as Austine speakes) are necessitated to miseries, which bend their course towards the Kingdome of H…aven. For godlinesse and temptation are such inseparable attendants on the same person, that a mans sins be no sooner forgiven, and he rescued from Satan, but that Lyon fomes and roares, and bestirs himselfe to recover his losse. Neither can Gods love be injoyed, without Satans distu…bance. Yea, the World and the Devill therefore …ate us, because God hath chosen us. If a Convert comes home, the Angels welcome him with Songs, the Devils follow him with uproare and fury, his old acquaintance with scornes and obloquie; for they thinke it quarrell enough that we will no longer runne with them to the same excesse of riot. 1 Peter 4. 4. That we will no longer continue miserable with them: they envy to see themselves casheired, as persons infected with the plague will scoffe at such of their acquaintance, as refuse to consort with them as they have done formerly.
It is not enough for them to be bad themselves, except they raile at, and persecute the good. He that hath no grace himselfe, is vexed to see it in another: godly men are thornes in wicked mens eyes, as Job was in the Devils: because they are good, or because they are deerly beloved of God: If a mans person and wayes please God, the World wil be displeased with both. If God be a mans friend, that will be his enemy; If they exercise their malice, it is where he shewes mercy: and indeed he refuseth to be an Abel, whom the malice of Caine doth not exercise (as Gregory speaks;) for it is an everlasting rule of the Apostles, He that is borne after the flesh, will persecute him that is borne after the Spirit, Gal. 4. 29. not because he is evill, but because he is so much better than himselfe, 1 John 3. 12. Because his life is not like other mens, his wayes are of another fashion, Wisd. 2. 15.
I have also *In a Treatise not yet Printed.shewed the Originall, continuance, properties, causes, ends, and what will be the issue of this enmity; and therein made it plaine, that as for the present, they suite like the Harpe and the Harrow, agree like two poysons in one stomack, the one being ever sick of the other: so, to reconcile them together, were to reconcile Fire and Water, the Wolfe and the Lambe, the Winds and the Sea together; yea, that once to expect it, were an eff…ct of frenzie, not of hope.
It remaines in the last place that I declare the
Reasons, why God permits his dearest children so to be afflicted.
Reasons, why The godly are so patient in their sufferings.
With other Grounds of comfort, and Uses: and first of the first.
The Reasons why God suffers the same, are chiefly sixteene; all tending to his glory, and their spirituall and everlasting good, benefit, and advantage: for the malignity of envie (if it be well answered) is made the evill cause of a good effect to us; God and our soules are made gainers by anothers sin.
The Reasons and Ends which tend to Gods glory are three:
1 It makes for the glory of his Power,
2 It makes for the glory of his Wisedome.
3 It makes much for his glory, when those graces which he hath bestowed upon his children, doe the more shine through imployment.
1. It maketh for the glory of his Power: Moses having declared, in what manner the Lord permitted Pharaoh to oppresse the children of Israel, more and more, still hardning his heart, shewes the reason of it in these words, That I may multiply my miracles and wonders in the Land of Aegypt, That I may lay my hand upon Pharaoh, and bring out mine Armies, even my people by great judgements, that my power may bee knowne, and that I may declare my Name throughout all the World, Exod. 7. 3, 4. & 9. 16.
When that multitude of Amonites and Moabites came to war against Jeh…saphat and the Children of Israel, intending to cast them out of the Lords inheritance, and utterly destroy them, to the dishonour of God; the Lord by delivering them from that sore affliction, gained to himselfe such honour and glory, That (as the Text saith) the feare of God was upon all the Kingdomes of the Earth, when they heard that the Lord had fought so against the enemies of Israel. 2 Chron. 20. 29. The judgement was upon some, the feare came upon all; it was but a few mens lesse, but it was all mens warning, 1 Cor. 10. 11. When the Lord brought againe the Captivity of Sion (saith the Psalmist) Then said they among the Heathen, the Lord hath done great things for them, Psal. 126. 1. 2.
God provides on purpose mighty adversaries for his Church, that their humiliation may be the greater in sustaining, and his glory may be greater in deliverance: yea, though there be Legious of devils, and every one stronger than many Legions of men, and more malicious than strong: yet Christs little Floc… lives and prospers; and makes not this exceedingly for our Makers, for our Gardians glory?
Gods power is best made known in our weakens, 2 Cor. 12. 9. And our deliverance is so much the more wondered at, by how much the lesse it was expected. Impossibilities are the best advancers of Gods glory; who not seldome hangs the greatest weights upon the smallest w…ars, as he doth those bottles of He …ven (being of infinite weight and magnitude) in the …of. … (where no man can make a feather hang) and the massie substance of the whole Earth and Sea upon nothing Job 26. 7. 8. Yea the whole frame of the He …vens have no other Columns or Supporters to leane upon, then his mighty and powerfull word, Gen. 1. 6, 7, 8. For what we le…st beleeve can be done, we most admire being done; the lesser the meanes, and the greater the opposition, the more is the glory of him who by little meanes doth overcome a great opposition: yea, it is greater glory to God to turne evils into good by over-mastering them, then wholly to take them away.
Now, if thy very enemies thus honour thee, how should thy friends (bought with thy precious blood) glorifie thee? But the sweetest of honey lieth in the bottome. I passe therefore from the first to the second Reason.